Poisoning is the leading cause of death from injuries in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pardridge Insurance and its partner Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company encourages people to use good judgment in storing and disposing of medicines to prevent poisonings at home.
Nearly 3 million poisonings were reported the nation’s poison centers in 2014. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, approximately 90 percent of poisonings happen at home, and 50 percent of poisonings involve children under the age of 6. Fifty-seven percent of human exposures involved medications or pharmaceuticals.
Poisoning prevention is in your hands.
1. Store medicine in a locked cabinet
Ensure children can’t use chairs or stack items to climb to products stored out of their reach. Install safety latches on cabinets used for medicines.
2. Never leave your medicine out
Always store medicines and household products up high, away and out of sight from children. Never leave medicine out on a kitchen counter or at a sick child’s bedside.
3. Clean out your medicine cabinet periodically
Safely dispose of medicines that are expired or no longer needed. Get details about safe medicine disposal from the federal Food and Drug Administration.
4. Always relock the safety cap
If the medicine has a locking cap that turns, twist it until you hear the click or you cannot twist any further. Close medicines if interrupted during use. Many incidents happen when adults are distracted while using these products. Remember that child-resistant is not childproof — it is designed to keep children away from the product for a short time before a parent notices.
5. Never call medicine “candy”
Tell children what medicine is and why you must be the one to give it to them. Never call medicine “candy” to get a child to take it.
For more information
In case of a poison emergency, contact your local poison center at (800) 222-1222. For more home safety tips, visit the Front Porch blog on grinnellmutual.com.
As always, you can contact our insurance company in Sycamore – Pardridge Insurance 815-758-4447.