Wednesday, March 28, 2001

Fatal attraction: Potions and pills

About poison prevention awareness

Poisoning is one of the leading causes of injury and death in the United States. It is estimated that more than 150,000 Georgians are unintentionally poisoned each year. Most of these victims are children.

In 1999, the Georgia Poison Center responded to over 42,670 exposure (to some hazardous substance) calls regarding children under the age of five. It can take only seconds for a child to reach for poisonous cleaners, cosmetics or medications possibly resulting in serious injury or even death.

Children under the age of five are particularly at risk for poisoning due to their stage of development. As a child's mobility increases, so does his ability to reach for a dangerous product.

Young children constantly explore the world around them, touching and tasting everything they see. Unfortunately, the results can be devastating.

I can remember being in the kitchen washing dishes with my 2-year-old child playing happily on the floor behind me with the pots and wooden spoons I had given him. When I suddenly became aware that the pot-banging had ceased, I turned around to find that my child had opened a bottom cabinet, opened and poured the contents of a very large bottle of cooking oil on the floor; and was now doing a mean breast stroke right through the middle of it!

If he could do all that with me in the same room, just imagine what he could do if unattended for even a moment! Even more frightening, what if instead of cooking oil he had opened a bottle of drain cleaner, bleach or some other caustic substance?

Thankfully, we had put childproof latches on all the cabinets that had contained poisonous items, and had placed breakables well above his reach. What could have been a disaster is now just a funny family story that will be passed on fondly, but only because care was taken to make that childs environment as safe as possible.

Child resistant packaging should be used on all medication, even if young children are not living in the home. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that child resistant packaging for aspirin and oral prescription medicine has saved the lives of approximately 700 children since its inception in the early 1970s.

"Children are often very inquisitive about their surroundings and tend to explore with curious fingers and mouths," said Dr. Gaylord Lopez, Director of the Georgia Poison Center.

In many instances, the childs environment "tricks" him or her into believing that an item is something that it is not. Take a moment and visualize with you minds eye the following pairs of items. How would a child know the difference?

Sudafed/Red Hots (candy)

Drixoral/Skittles

Antacid/Sweet Tarts

Decongestant/Tic Tac

Windex/Gatorade (blue)

Poison centers nationwide provide an invaluable health service when poisonings occur. By safely managing approximately 75 percent of poisoning exposures in the home, poison centers eliminate thousands of unnecessary and costly emergency room visits.

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, every $1 spent on a poison center results in $4-$9 savings in overall health care costs.

The Georgia Poison Center reminds you to make your home safe by poison-proofing it. Keep the number of the Georgia Poison Center on or near your telephone, and if a poisoning occurs, call the center immediately. The service is free, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week 404-616-9000 (inside metro Atlanta), 1-800-282-5846 (outside metro Atlanta), 404-616-9287 (TDD for the deaf and hearing impaired).

To help keep your family safe, the Georgia Poison Center and the Fayette County Health Dept. offer these safety tips:

Keep Syrup of Ipecac in your home, and use it only when told to do so by the poison center or your doctor. It is important to keep all poisonous products such as: cleaning products, bug and weed killers, laundry and dishwasher detergents, and gasoline out of the sight and reach of young children.

Store items in locked cabinets if possible. Always read and follow label directions when using any household products. Medications should be stored in a locked cabinet out of sight and reach of young children and pets. Using child-resistant caps is necessary every time the product is used.

Children should be taught that medicine is not candy and should never be taken unless an adult gives it to them. Proper doseage could mean the difference between a life and death situation; always check the dose of medicine before giving it to a child. If you are still unsure, call your physician or your pharmacist.

Some plants, mushrooms, and berries can be very poisonous. Know the names of plants inside and outside of your home. Teach children to never touch or taste any part of a plant, berry, or mushroom.

Poisonings are preventable but it is up to you.

For more information about poison prevention call the Fayette County Health Dept. at 770-461-1178, ext. 5416 or the Georgia Poison Centers Education Dept. at 404-616-9235, or visit the Geogia Poison Center website at www.georgiapoisoncenter.org.