National Poison Prevention Week Reminds Consumers To Protect Young Children From Poisons

Enforcement of safety closure regulations prevented approximately 40 deaths and 65,000 injuries among young children in 1980 from aspirin, prescription drugs and toxic or corrosive household substances, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced.

CPSC is helping to promote National Poison Prevention Week in hopes of convincing parents and other consumers of the need to buy drugs and potentially harmful household products (such as drain cleaners and paint strippers) in containers equipped with child-resistant closures. National Poison Prevention Week is being observed this year from March 15 through March 21.

CPSC enforces a federal law (the Poison Prevention Packaging Act) which requires that child-resistant closures be placed on containers of aspirin, prescription drugs and various household substances (including lighter fluid, oven cleaners and turpentine).

Until the early 1970's, aspirin was the substance most commonly involved in poisonings to young children and was the first substance required to have child-resistant closures under the PPPA. Since the safety closures first were required in 1972, there has been a 72 per cent reduction in the number of deaths to young children from aspirin overdoses. Deaths from accidental poisonings of young children from all household products have been reduced by 63 per cent. And cases of children swallowing lye (a common ingredient in drain cleaners) have been reduced by 63 per cent since 1973.

However, despite continued gains in reducing such childhood accidents, more than 100,000 children will swallow poisons this year. CPSC reminds adults that almost all of these accidents can be prevented by following some simple rules:

- Buy and use products with child-resistant caps and closures.

- Keep products in their original containers with the warning labels intact.

- Make sure that drugs, cleaning products and other hazardous substances are kept securely in cabinets and other locations inaccessible to children.

- Close the container properly after each use so that the safety feature is engaged.

- Remember that safety closures are no more than "child- resistant" -- some young children may be able to open the closures; accordingly, make sure that products with safety closures are stored out of children's reach.