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For Release Friday,
15th March, 2002 |
CONTACT:
Bill Parizek |
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PHONE:850-245-4111
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Florida Department of Health Secretary John O. Agwunobi, M.D., M..B.A.:
“Most parents are unaware that one out of two children in our state will experience some type of poisoning before the age of five. Many of these incidents happen when adults use a product but are momentarily distracted. In the time it takes a parent to answer the door, a child can be poisoned by a cleaning product, cosmetic or medication left within their reach.”
American Association of Poison Control Centers recommendations to help you protect children from poisons:
- Post the telephone number for your poison control center (1-800-222-1222) near your phone, in a place where all family members would be able to find it quickly in an emergency.
- Remove all nonessential drugs and household products from your home. Discard them according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- If you have small children, avoid keeping highly toxic products, such as drain cleaners, in the home, garage, shed, or other place children can access.
- Buy medicines and household products in child-resistant packaging and be sure that caps are always on tight. Do not remove child-safety caps. Avoid keeping medicines, vitamins, or household products in anything but their original packaging.
- Store all of your medicines and household products in a locked closet or cabinet–including products and medicines with child-resistant containers.
- Crawl around your house, including inside your closets, to inspect it from a child's point of view. You'll likely find a poisoning hazard you hadn't noticed before.
- Never refer to medicine or vitamins as "candy."
- Make sure visiting grandparents, family friends, or other care givers keep their medications away from children. For example, if Grandma keeps pills in her purse, make sure the purse is out of children's reach.
- Keep a bottle of syrup of ipecac in your home–this can be used to induce vomiting. Use it only when the poison control center tells you to.
- Avoid products such as cough syrup or mouth wash that contain alcohol–these are hazardous for young children. Look for alcohol-free alternatives.
- Keep cosmetics and beauty products out of children's reach. Remember that hair permanents and relaxers are toxins as well.
For more information, please visit the Department of Health’s website at
www.doh.state.fl.us
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