It's National Poison Prevention Week ... Why Should You Care?



Each year (in the U.S.) over half a million calls are made to poison control centers because little children get into medicines and vitamins when their parent or caregiver was not looking.

As a parent, this has to make you stop and think.

For me, I believe everything happens for a reason. With this in mind, I find it rather ironic that I now have the oportunity to help promote the importance of medication safety and poison prevention efforts for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Why is this ironic, you ask?

Now for the rest of my story...

When my oldest daughter was 4, she was quite the fan of grape-flavored acetaminophen (or Tylenol). In fact, on one occasion, she took it upon herself to consume over half a bottle of it. I panicked! Yes, it was located on a high shelf and out-of-immediate-sight, but she knew where it was. She took it upon herself to push a chair to the counter, climb up, open the bottle (apparently not closed tightly enough) and down the medicine like it was the best tasting thing ev-er. I had walked out of the room for just a MOMENT (to attend to one of her little sisters). Thankfully, she was ok.

Yet, one scare was not enough for us. On another occasion, we had gone to the beach for vacation. A bag that contained our collective family medicines was inadvertently left where our youngest could reach it. I found her sitting on her bed, pill bottle open, pills everywhere, and white-powder residue on her mouth. After lots of frantic scrambling to determine our game plan (e.g. "who to call, where to go?"), a groggy child, and an ambulance ride to the local ER, this Mom has learned a value lesson (or two). Thankfully, these tips are now also reiterated by a new CDC program called Up and Away and Out of Sight, which should absolutely be on every parent's radar.

When it comes to preventing accidental medication overdoses, parents, please remember the following:

1) Store any medicine or vitamin in a place kids cannot reach or see. Any medicine or vitamin (prescription or OTC) can cause harm if taken the wrong way.

2) Put medicines away every time you use them. Never leave medicines or vitamins out on a kitchen counter or at a sick child's bedside, even if you have to give the medicine again in a few hours.

3) Make sure the safety cap is locked. If the medicine has a locking cap that turns, twist it until the "CLICK" is heard, or you cannot twist it anymore.

4) Teach children about medicine safety. NEVER tell kids that medicine is candy to get them to take it -- even if the child doesn't like to take his/her medicine.

5) Ask your visitors and houseguests to keep their purses, bags, or coats (that have medicines in them) up and away and out-of-sight while they are visiting.

6) And in the event of an emergency... the Poison Control number -- 800-222-1222 -- should be programmed into the cell phone of each and every parent and care giver. Do it NOW!

Hopefully, you don't (and won't) have a similar story to share. So, during the 50th Anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week, please take one moment to heed this important advice and help ensure the safety of your children and grandchildren for days to come. :)