Preventing Your Children from Being Poisoned

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 300 children each day are treated in an emergency room and 2 die as a result of poisoning. We all think of poisoning coming from the chemicals that we use to clean our homes but that is not all that can poison children. Curious children can get their hands on medications that are easily accessible and then experiment with eating or drinking what they find.

The CDC has four main recommendations to prevent poisoning:

Keep medications and cleaning supplies in their original packaging and locked away where children cannot see them or access them.
Put the nationwide poison control center phone number 1-800-222-1222, on or near every telephone in your home and program it into your cell phone.
When giving children medications, be sure to carefully read the labels and only give the amount prescribed.
Dispose of any medications and cleaning supplies you do not need or that have expired dates. The CDC recommends that medicine be disposed by mixing it with coffee grounds or cat litter and making sure this mixture is thrown away.

Be especially careful not to refer to medications as candy. Because pills come in different attractive colors, curious children are more susceptible to wanting to play with them and even eat them.

As parents, we must be diligent to protect our children. Do all you can to safeguard items that are potentially hazardous to them and be prepared in the event poisoning does occur.

To learn more, either visit CDC Poisoning or CDC Prevent Tips.

Parents - Be Aware of the Dangers of E-Cigarette Use by Youth

On December 18, 2018, the Surgeon General of the United States Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams issued a public health advisory on the dangers of e-cigarette use. He called the use among our youth “an epidemic” and asks all of us to step up and help protect our children from this major public health threat.

According to the Advisory, e-cigarettes entered the U.S. market in 2007 and since 2014, are the most widely used tobacco product by youth. In 2018, use grew by 20.8% so that 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students used e-cigarettes. These cigarettes come in different shapes, sizes and flavors and have become very attractive to youth, especially with so much effective advertising geared toward the youth. It is also important to know that, in addition to using various flavors, marijuana is being used in e-cigarettes too.

The Surgeon General warned that e-cigarette aerosol can be harmful as it usually has nicotine, which is an addictive drug. “Nicotine exposure during adolescence can harm the developing brain – which continues to develop until about age 25. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can impact learning, memory, and attention. Using nicotine in adolescence can also increase risk for future addiction to other drugs. In addition to nicotine, the aerosol that users inhale and exhale from e-cigarettes can potentially expose both themselves and bystanders to other harmful substances, including heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs.”

He refers to this growing use as a “public health epidemic” and asks us assist in the fight to protect our children. The Advisory provides helpful information as to what can be done by parents, teachers, health professionals, as well as government entities.

The Advisory ends with the following: “KNOW THE RISKS. TAKE ACTION. PROTECT OUR KIDS.”

To read the full advisory, CLICK HERE.

For other interesting articles on the dangers of e-cigarettes, visit: