Avoid Accidental Poisonings
By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: January 12, 2012
A national group reports there are more than two million accidental poisonings in the U.S. eEvery year... and that more than half of those involve children five and under.
"It only takes one pill if a toddler would ingest it, it's lethal." Freeman Dr. Alisha Wright adds that while that only applies to a few medications - like those for blood pressure and heart disease - it's important to keep them out of the hands of small children.
Wright said, "It's usually pill boxes, the flip top where it's easily accessible to child versus a lid that you have to push and turn. The pill box easily pops open they get them out, put them in their mouth then you find them and you don't know how many they've ingested."
And it's not just your prescriptions. Wright pointed out, "Mouse poison is very common because it's down on the ground and kids open a cabinet. It's there, it's generally blue and right to the mouth."
Although somewhat less common, household cleansers are also a concern. "They have a noxious smell. They may get to them but they're less likely to put them up to their mouth because they're just like you or I - it smells bad, it burns the nose."
Wright says your best bet is prevention. "Of course keep your medication up and out of reach and closed - locked cabinets on lower levels - poisons under the house, not in the cabinets.
