Mr. Yuk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mr. Yuk is a trademarked cartoon graphic image, created by the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, that is widely employed in the United States in labeling of substances that are poisonous if ingested.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Mr. Yuk was conceived in 1971 as the mascot for the poison center at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. His image appears on small green stickers that are affixed to containers of poisonous substances. The Mr. Yuk stickers are bold and obvious. There is no textual notice of the poisonous attributes of the contents of the containers they appear on; the visage of a disgusted Mr. Yuk is ostensibly enough to warn anyone “do not eat or drink this.”
Over time, the use of Mr. Yuk stickers has gained a certain amount of nationwide currency in the United States. Mr. Yuk stickers usually contain phone numbers of poison control offices that may give guidance if poisoning has occurred or is suspected (1-800-222-1222 in the United States).
Mr. Yuk also has a theme song (see link below). A memorably scary psychedelic public service announcement was also produced in the 1970s featuring the theme song, becoming a pop-culture icon unto itself for a number of generations.
[edit] Effectiveness
The Mr. Yuk symbol has been used as a replacement for the traditional skull-and-crossbones (a.k.a. Jolly Roger) warning label for poison. This is because some young children are thought to associate this symbol with pirates and therefore may misinterpret it as an invitation to ingest the poison. In contrast, some psychological studies have shown that most children are naturally repelled by Mr. Yuk, even if they have not learned the symbol's meaning.
However, 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. 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.”
[edit] Use restrictions
Mr. Yuk and his graphic rendering are registered trademarks and service marks of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and the rendering itself is additionally protected by copyright. This means that the name and graphic image cannot be used without a license from the owner—unlike the skull and crossbones symbol, which is in the public domain.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Beautrais AL, Shannon FT. (1982). "A controlled field trial of a poisoning prevention method". Pediatrics 69, 515–520. PMID 7079005
- Vernberg K, Culver-Dickinson P, Spyker DA. (1984). "The deterrent effect of poison-warning stickers". American Journal of Diseases of Children 138, 1018–1020. PMID 6496418
