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Officials warn of home poisoning dangers for kids
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Parents and caregivers need to do more than rely on child-resistant packaging to protect kids from being poisoned, safety officials said Monday. About 30 children younger than 5 die each year from accidental poisonings, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced that National Poison Prevention Week begins on March 16. "Special packaging is child-resistant, not childproof, so you also need to keep medicines and chemicals locked up," said Hal Stratton, chairman of the safety commission. Poison control centers receive more than 1 million calls each year about accidental poisonings of children under 5 years of age from medicines and household chemicals, the agency said. A national poison emergency hot line -- 1-800-222-1222 -- that links callers anywhere in the country to medical experts at local centers has received nearly 1 million calls in its first year, said Douglas Borys, president of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. To prevent poisonings, the safety agency said people should: • Call 1-800-222-1222 immediately in case of poisoning. Keep on hand a bottle of ipecac syrup but use it only if the poison center instructs you to induce vomiting. • Keep all chemicals and medicines locked up and out of sight. When products are in use, never let young children out of your sight. • Avoid taking medicine in front of children. Refer to medicine as "medicine," not "candy." • Keep items in original containers with their original labels and close child-resistant packaging securely after each use. • Keep away from children lamps and candles that contain lamp oil, which can be very toxic if ingested. • Always leave the light on when giving or taking medicine. Read the label before using and check the dosage every time. • Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically and dispose of unneeded and outdated drugs. Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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