Approximately 60,000 Young Children Are Brought to Emergency Rooms Each Year Because They Got Into Medicines That Were Left Within Reach
Debbie Hersman, President and CEO of the National Safety Council, and Dr. Dan Budnitz, Director the Medication Safety Program at CDC
(Washington D.C., Thursday, June 1, 2017) – Families take medicines to feel better and stay well. However, any medicine can be dangerous if taken in the wrong way or by the wrong person—especially if that person is a young child. If you have or care for a little one, it’s important to ask yourself: Did I remember to put medicines up and away?
National Safety Month is observed annually in June and focuses on reducing leading causes of injury and death at work, on the roads, and in our homes and communities. The National Safety Council and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are partnering to remind parents and caregivers about the importance of storing medicines up and away and out of sight and reach of children—year-round, but especially during the summer when families are traveling and storing medicines in places other than their usual storage spots.
Debbie Hersman, President and CEO of the National Safety Council, discusses the risk of accidental unsupervised medicine ingestions and the importance of safe medicine storage.
SOUNDBITE:
SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT. IT’S REALLY A CHOICE THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE LIVES. APPROXIMATELY SIXTY-THOUSAND YOUNG CHILDREN ARE BROUGHT TO EMERGENCY ROOMS EACH YEAR BECAUSE THEY GOT INTO MEDICINES THAT WERE LEFT WITHIN REACH. THAT’S WHY We are MAKING CHILD MEDICATION SAFETY AN IMPORTANT PART OF NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH.
Dr. Dan Budnitz, Director the Medication Safety Program at CDC, provides tips to help parents store medicines safely.
SOUNDBITE:
THIS SUMMER, WHETHER YOU’RE AT HOME OR ON VACATION, THERE ARE A FEW SIMPLE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO KEEP CURIOUS YOUNG KIDS FROM GETTING INTO MEDICINES. FIRST, PICK A PLACE TO KEEP YOUR MEDS THAT’S UP AND AWAY AND OUT OF SIGHT. SECOND, ALWAYS KEEP MEDICINES IN THEIR ORIGINAL, CHILD-RESISTANT CONTAINERS. THIRD, REMEMBER TO TIGHTEN THOSE SAFETY CAPS AND PUT MEDICINES BACK IN THEIR STORAGE SPOT EACH AND EVERY TIME YOU USE THEM. FINALLY, MAKE SURE OTHERS AROUND YOUR KIDS ARE DOING THE SAME – WHETHER THEY’RE A GUEST IN YOUR HOME OR YOU ARE VISITING THEIRS.
For more information, follow the hashtags #MedsUpAway and #Safe4Life and visit UpandAway.org.