Poison Prevention

Half of the 2.4 million calls to Poison Control Centers in 2010 involved children ages 5 and under. In fact, 9 out of 10 poisonings occur at home.

If you have questions about potential poisons, medication dosage, or a poison emergency call the North Texas Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 The North Texas Poison Center is open 24/7 and the call is free. Calls are answered by nurses and pharmacists and 80 percent of them are handled at home, without having to go to the Emergency Room. Call 9-1-1 if your child won't wake up, is having trouble breathing or is having seizures.

Create a safe habit and be prepared in case of an emergency, enter 1-800-222-1222 into your cell phone today.

Find local drop boxes where you can properly dispose of your unused or expired medications.
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Facts

Poisons effect a wide range of ages and 70% of the poisonings treated at Cook Children's are medication related, while many others are due to common household products.

• Infants are often incorrectly dosed with medications, either from being given the wrong amount or wrong type of medicine.
• Toddlers learn by exploring and putting things into their hands and mouth. They cannot read labels and often mistake poisons for candy or juice.
• School-age children who are becoming more independent may make a mistake when taking daily medications without caregiver supervision.

Medication safety

To a child, the colors and shapes of medicine may look like candy or juice. The wrong medicine or the wrong amounts of medicine can cause severe injury to a child's small body. It is important to store prescription drugs, over-the-counter pain medicine and vitamins up high, in a locked or child-proofed cabinet. Medication safety starts with prevention and includes safe dosing, safe storage and safe disposal.

Safe dosing

• Always follow directions when giving medicine to your child.
• Create safe habits by having reoccurring reminders. Consider creating cell phones alerts or using medication schedules for dosing times.
• Double dosing is NOT twice as effective, and in many instances can cause internal damage.
• Adult medications may be too strong for children and should not be given in half doses. Only give medicine to your child that is intended for children.
• Read the warnings and follow package or physician directions.

Safe storage

• Many people leave medications on bathroom and kitchen counters as well as bedroom nightstand as a visual reminder to take them. Avoid unintentional injury and store medication up high, locked and out of reach.
• Keep medication in the original container to avoid confusion or poisonings.
• Hang purses and personal bags up high, so children are unable to reach prescriptions, vitamins, or other routinely used medications.
• Remember when visiting friends and family it is ok to have an open discussion about safe storage.

Safe disposal

It is important to dispose of your unused and expired medications because:

• It is dangerous to use medication that are expired or prescribed for someone else.
• It can reduce access of potentially harmful medication.
• It can help prevent drug use that may lead to lifelong struggles with substance abuse.
• It helps protect our environment.

Accepted drop box disposal items

• Prescription / Over-the-counter medications
• Veterinary (animal) medications
• Vitamins / Minerals / Samples

Not accepted drop box disposal items

• Oxygen tanks / nebulizers
• Needles / Sharps
• Thermometers / IV bags
• Any equipment or syringes to administer medications

Home disposal

If you do not have a drug take back location near you, check the FDA's flush list. Visit here to check if your medication is on the flush list. Remember, do NOT flush medications not on this list.

If your medication is not on the flush list you can follow these simple steps.

• Mix medicines (liquid or uncrushed pills) with an unappealing substance such as dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds.
• Place the mixture in a container, such as a sealed plastic bag.
• Throw away the container in the trash.
• Remove all personal information on the prescription label and packaging. Then trash and/or recycle the empty bottle and label.
• Medication syringes should be disposed of in a sharps container, or if unavailable, placed inside a thick plastic container (detergent bottle) and sealed.

Household poisonings

Safe proof your home in advance and avoid potential danger zones. Take a tour of each room, inside and out, and look for the dangers we've outlined below. Consider what a child can see and reach at their height. The little time it takes to do this can help prevent accidental poisonings.

Poisonous products

For young children who are not yet reading and like to explore, poisonous products may look like food, drinks, and candy.

• Clothes detergents/pods are often swallowed because they are colorful and soft to the touch. Be sure to keep containers sealed and out of reach.
• Nicotine and vaping liquids tend to have enticing flavors and smells that are attractive to children. Hang purses and personal bags up high, so children are unable to grab cigarettes, vaping liquids, and other routinely used products.
• Floor cleaners and other cleaning liquids often look and smell like fruit juices and other common drinks. Designate specific cabinets to store cleaning supplies that can be locked and out of a child's reach.
• Some plants may be poisonous to young, exploring children, as well as to animals. Visit https://www.poison.org/articles/plant for a list of poisonous plants.
• Lawn chemicals, pesticides, and car cleaners should be kept in their original containers with labels so they are not mistaken for common drinks.
• Toys that are meant for kids often have hidden dangers, such as button batteries or small items that are choking hazards. Be sure to read labels, follow manufacturer's age recommendations and ensure any battery covers are kept intact.

Safe and sound pain management

Cook Children’s Opioid Stewardship Committee led by Dr. Artee Gandhi, strives to reduce the risk of harm from addiction, ingestion, misuse, overdose, and death through best practices and education on the safe and sound practice of pain management. Ultimately, the goal is to build a framework for pain management that fulfills our Promise.

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Questions or comments

If you have any questions or would like more information about our program, please email safe.kids@cookchildrens.org.