Mr. Yuk is from PA - Learn Stuff

I was recently reminded of a blast from the past - Mr. Yuk. One would have assumed I already knew it came from Pennsylvania. Nope.

I was talking with my buddy Caveman the other day and noticed he had a Mr. Yuk tattoo. This character was big in the 80`s, and it was suggested that I do a video about it.

The whole Mr. Yuk thing is a campaign by poison control centers to help prevent small children from ingesting dangerous household substances. It seems like a stretch, I know.

Everything started at the UMPC Children`s Hospital of Pittsburgh in 1971. I should have known Mr. Yuk is from PA, but that was news to me. Up until then, the standard warning symbol for poison was the skull and crossbones. It was determined that most children associated that with pirates, not poison.

Many studies were done, and the experts came up with a florescent green \"yucky\" face as the best way to deter kids. Sheets of these things were sent home with kids from school, with instructions to find dangerous substances and slap a Mr. Yuck label on them.

You may be thinking: \"Hmmm... if small children - on their own - are labeling things like drain cleaner in the first place, wouldn`t they logically already know that it is dangerous?\"

You would be totally Vulcan in your logic and probably would have saved taxpayers millions of dollars. Some later studies suggest that the bright colors and cartoon face actually attract small children. This program was distributed nationwide and is still in use today.

I remember my mom`s cleaning supplies were covered with these stickers back in the 80`s.

Go PA! Well, sort of.