Mr. Yuk

File:Poison Help.svg

A Mr. Yuk graphic with the phone number for American Poison Control

Mr. Yuk is a graphic image created and trademarked by UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, United States, as a way to label substances that are poisonous if ingested. The graphic was created to be understandable by and visually unappealing to children, and usually carries a telephone number for a poison control center.

Objective

File:Mr-yuck-psa.ogv To help children learn to avoid ingesting poisons, Mr. Yuk was conceived by Richard Moriarty, a pediatrician and clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who founded the Pittsburgh Poison Center and the National Poison Center Network.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moriarty felt that the traditional skull and crossbones representing poison was no longer appropriate for children; Congressman William J. Coyne later said that by the 1970s the symbol was "associated with swashbuckling pirates and buccaneers rather than with harmful substances."<ref name=pitt/>

The design and color were chosen when Moriarty used focus groups of young children to determine which combination was the most unappealing. Possible expressions were "mad" (crossed eyes and intense expression), "dead" (a sunken mouth and Xs for eyes), and "sick" (a sour expression with the tongue sticking out).<ref name="gazette">Template:Cite news</ref> Children were asked to rank the faces according to which they liked the best, along with the skull and crossbones, and the "sick" face was least popular.<ref name="gazette"/> The shade of fluorescent green that was chosen was christened "Yucky!" by a young child and gave the design its name.<ref name=pitt>Template:Cite news</ref>

History

In 1971, the Pittsburgh Poison Centre issued the Mr. Yuk sticker. Over the next few years, Mr. Yuk stickers were used nationwide to promote poison centres in the United States of America.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The stickers usually contained phone numbers of poison control centers that may give guidance if poisoning has occurred or is suspected. Usually, Mr. Yuk stickers carried the national toll-free number 1-800-222-1222. In some areas, local poison control centers and children's hospitals issue stickers with local numbers, under license.Template:Citation needed A public service announcement was also produced in 1971 featuring a theme song.<ref name=pitt/>

Effectiveness

At least two peer-reviewed medical studies (Fergusson 1982, Vernberg 1984) have suggested that Mr. Yuk stickers do not effectively keep children away from potential poisons and may even attract children.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Specifically, Vernberg and colleagues note concerns for using the stickers to protect young children. Fergusson and colleagues state that "the method may be effective with older children or as an adjunct to an integrated poisoning prevention campaign".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

To evaluate the effectiveness of six projected symbols (skull-and-crossbones, red stop sign, and four others), tests were conducted at day care centers. Children in the program rated Mr. Yuk as the most unappealing image. By contrast, children rated the skull-and-crossbones to be the most appealing.<ref name="Washington Poison Center">Washington Poison Center Template:Webarchive</ref>

Licensing

Mr. Yuk and his graphic rendering are registered trademarks and service marks of the UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and the rendering itself is additionally protected by copyright.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC gives out free sheets of Mr. Yuk stickers if contacted by mail.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Modern usage

Given the evidence regarding the campaign's effectiveness, some poison control centers no longer distribute Mr. Yuk stickers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, as of May 2024, other poison control centers, such as the Pittsburgh Poison Center continue to offer stickers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Emoticon
• Hazard symbol
• Mr. Ouch
• Smiley
• Poison control center

External links

• Mr. Yuk Information Page
• American Association of Poison Control Centers
• Acceptable Labelling on Pesticide Containers
• Original Mr.Yuk Public Service Announcement On YouTube