Teach Children about Medicine Safety

Each year in the United States, over 1.34 million calls are made to poison centers for children. Safe Kids Upstate reports that 49% are medicine-related. Safe Kids Upstate Program Coordinator Daby Snipes says it is very important to teach young children about medicine safety. “Medication is a big thing to teach. Kids can be poisoned by diaper rash cream, eye drops, basics and it is not just prescription drugs. So, if it says keep out of the reach of children, keep it out of the reach of children. Up and away is our saying. Overall, supervision is the best protection but parents can’t do that all the time; they’ve got clothes to wash and dinner to fix. So, figuring out that routine of whose turn is it to watch them as I work, kind of thing.” Each year in the U.S., 10,000 ER visits occur for over the counter medicine overdoses. The most common medicines that children under four years of age get into are ibuprofen, multivitamins and diaper care and rash products. Parents are encouraged to save the Poison Help number on your phone, 1-800-222-1222. For more safety tips visit www.safekidsupstate.org.