PROCLAMATION 7413—MAR. 5, 2001 115 STAT. 2609 more to do. We all should use and properly re-close child-resistant packaging, keep poisonous substances locked up away from children, and keep available poison control center phone numbers next to the telephone. These measures can help prevent tragedies. To encourage the American people to learn more about the dangers of accidental poisonings and to take more preventive measures, the Congress, by joint resolution approved September 26, 1961 (75 Stat. 681), has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week of March each year as "National Poison Prevention Week." NOW, THEREFORE. I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning March 18, 2001, as National Poison Prevention Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by participating in appropriate ceremonies and activities and by learning how to prevent accidental poisonings among children. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth. GEORGE W. BUSH Proclamation 7413 of March 5, 2001 Save Your Vision Week, 2001 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation As part of our regular health routine, we often overlook vision. Good vision affects how we work, communicate, and learn. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, about 80 million Americans suffer from potentially blinding eye diseases, 3 million have low vision, and 200,000 more are severely visually impaired. Visual impairment can strike at any time. Some eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, can develop and damage the eye without warning. Also, visual impairment can develop more often in certain groups. For example, some groups of Americans have a higher risk for glaucoma, including those over the age of 60, African Americans over the age of 40, and people who have a family history of the disease. Visual impairment can also strike the future of this country: our children. Infants and young children are not immune to eye disorders. Amblyopia, poor vision in an eye that did not develop normal sight during early childhood, causes problems in very early life. Early vision screening is important for our young people to ensure that their eyes receive immediate treatment if problems are found. Also, myopia, or nearsightedness, affects 15 percent of those entering high school. Many occupations and forms of recreation can present dangers to the eye. Eye protection is a necessity when jobs create the possibility of eye injury. Wearing protective eyewear when playing sports can cut down on eye injury by as much as 90 percent, and wearing eye protec-
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