Editing Mr. Yuk

{{short description|Label that indicates poisonous material}}
[[File:Poison_Help.svg|thumb|right|A Mr. Yuk graphic with the phone number for American Poison Control]]
'''Mr. Yuk''' is a trademarked graphic image, created by [[UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh]], and widely employed in the United States in labeling of substances that are [[poison]]ous if ingested.

==Objective==
[[File:Mr-yuck-psa.ogg|thumb|The 1970s Mr. Yuk Public Service Announcement]]
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>{{cite web|url=http://www.carnegiemnh.org/programs/moriarty.html|title=Adult Programs|publisher=Carnegie Museum of Natural History|access-date=February 14, 2013|archive-date=March 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315100232/http://www.carnegiemnh.org/programs/moriarty.html|url-status=dead}}</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">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19730625&id=b59RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LG0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2619,3394357&hl=en|title=Yeech! It's Mr. Yuk, He's Poison!|last=Fisher|first=Ken|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=June 25, 1973|page=15}}</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>{{cite news|url=http://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/is-it-true-that-the-well-known-mr-yuk-sticker-was-created-right-here-in-pittsburgh/Content?oid=1336409|title=Is it true that the well-known "Mr. Yuk" sticker was created right here in Pittsburgh?|last=Potter|first=Chris|work=[[Pittsburgh City Paper]]|date=September 16, 2004|access-date=December 11, 2015}}</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>{{cite book  |title=Chemical Health Threats: Assessing and Alerting | first1=Tom | last1=Gaulton | first2= Stacey | last2=Wyke | first3=Samuel |last3=Collins  |date=2018 |page=165 | publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry |isbn=9781788015523 }}</ref> The stickers usually contained phone numbers of [[poison control center]]s 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.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} 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>Vernberg K, Culver-Dickinson P, Spyker DA. (1984). "The deterrent effect of poison-warning stickers". ''American Journal of Diseases of Children'' '''138''', 1018&ndash;1020. {{PMID|6496418}}</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>Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Beautrais AL, Shannon FT. (1982). "A controlled field trial of a poisoning prevention method". ''Pediatrics'' '''69''', 515&ndash;520. {{PMID|7079005}}</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">[http://www.wapc.org/resources/mryuk.htm Washington Poison Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081109100220/http://www.wapc.org/resources/mryuk.htm |date=2008-11-09 }}</ref>

== Licensing ==
Mr. Yuk and his graphic rendering are registered [[trademark]]s and [[service mark]]s of the [[UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh]], and the rendering itself is additionally protected by copyright.<ref>{{cite book|title=Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics|last=Rice|first=J. Berg|editor-last=Salvendy|editor-first=Gavriel|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2012|isbn=9780470528389|page=1479}}</ref> The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC gives out free sheets of Mr. Yuk stickers if contacted by mail.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chp.edu/injury-prevention/teachers-and-parents/poison-center/mr-yuk|title=Mr. Yuk - Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC|website=Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh}}</ref>

== Modern usage ==
Given the evidence regarding the campaign's effectiveness, some poison control centers no longer distribute Mr. Yuk stickers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Melissa |date=2013-04-02 |title=Mr. Yuk: A retired poison prevention icon {{!}} Northern New England Poison Center |url=https://www.nnepc.org/med-safety/mr-yuk-a-retired-poison-prevention-icon |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=www.nnepc.org |language=en-US}}</ref> However, as of May 2024, other poison control centers, such as the Pittsburgh Poison Center continue to offer stickers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Learn About Mr. Yuk from Pittsburgh Poison Center |url=https://www.upmc.com/services/poison-center/about-yuk |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=UPMC {{!}} Life Changing Medicine |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Emoticon]]
* [[Hazard symbol]]
* [[Mr. Ouch]]
* [[Smiley]]
* [[Poison control center]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.chp.edu/injury-prevention/teachers-and-parents/poison-center/mr-yuk Mr. Yuk Information Page]
* [http://www.aapcc.org  American Association of Poison Control Centers]
* [http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/labeling/lrm/chap-16.htm  Acceptable Labelling on Pesticide Containers]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLsONa3gKIQ&NR=1 Original Mr.Yuk Public Service Announcement On YouTube]

{{Pittsburgh}}
{{University of Pittsburgh Medical Center}}

[[Category:Symbols introduced in 1971]]
[[Category:Male characters in advertising]]
[[Category:Public service announcement characters]]
[[Category:Public service announcements of the United States]]
[[Category:Poison control centers]]
[[Category:Culture of Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Pictograms]]
[[Category:Stickers]]
[[Category:Children's health in the United States]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]