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Children are naturally curious and do not instinctively recognize danger at very young ages. Knowing the difference between a toy, candy and a toxic substance is only something that comes with age and education. While children are developing these skills, parents and guardians need to know how to protect them. Following is some information on medications, e-cigarettes and detergent laundry pods.

Medications

In 2013 the Lee and Collier County poison control centers took more than 1,500 calls involving children who had consumed, in most cases, medicines, according to Safe Kids Lee/Collier Counties. With 80 percent of adults taking at least one medicine or vitamin weekly, and 30 percent taking five or more, there is no wonder that childhood poisoning is so prevalent.

In research conducted by Safe Kids Worldwide  (SKW) when examining data from the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) and poison control centers, SKW found the following:

• Kids got into medications in many places. 67 percent of medication poisoning resulted when a child found the medication in purses, on the counter or on the ground.
• Eye drops, vitamins and diaper rash creams may seem to parents and guardians as unlikely products to interest children, but they do and have caused children to go to emergency rooms.  
• Parents and guardians often kept medications handy to use in "emergencies".
• SKW found that 43 percent of emergency room visits for childhood medicine poisoning were the result of a child's accessing them from visitors.
• Medicine cabinets containing out-of-date medications are also of interest to children.

e-Cigarettes

A CDC (Centers for Disease Control) study published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released on April 3, 2014, said that, with the increase in the use of e-cigarettes, the number of calls to poison centers regarding cigarette liquids containing nicotine rose from one per month in September 2010 to 215 per month in February 2014. More than half of these calls to the poison centers were due to e-cigarettes involving children under age 5.  Where poisoning from conventional cigarettes was generally due to children eating them, the e-cigarette poisoning involved the liquid which contained nicotine used in the devices. These poisonings occurred by ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin or eyes.

CDC Director, Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. said, "This report raises another red flag about e-cigarettes - the liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes can be hazardous. Use of these products is skyrocketing and these poisonings will continue. E-cigarette liquids, as currently sold, are a threat to small children because they are not required to be childproof, and they come in candy and fruit flavors that are appealing to children."

Florida's Senior Senator, Bill Nelson introduced a bill (S.2581) known as the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2014 in July 2014. This act would require the CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission) to "...promulgate a rule to require child safety packaging for liquid nicotine containers, and for other purposes." The House of Representatives sponsored an identical bill (H.R.5486). S.2581 is still in Congress and has not as yet been approved.

Detergent Laundry Pods

Researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy in Columbus, Ohio, reported that over the last two years more than 769 children have been hospitalized after being accidentally poisoned by detergent laundry pods which the Huffington Post said in November 2014, look like toys or candy to the children. Calls to the poison control centers involved children under 6 years of age suffering from eye injuries, comas and seizures. Dr. Gary Smith, the lead author of the study, said his hospital had two recent cases - kids who developed breathing problems and required treatment in the intensive care unit.

"Medications, e-cigarettes and detergent laundry pods are some of the dangers for children," said Lee and Collier County Child Injuries Attorney, Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. "It is very important that parents and guardians of children are vigilant when it comes to safely storing these, and other hazardous items, so they are not accessible to children. For more information about childhood poisonings contact the Florida Poison Information Center. There are three locations in Florida - Miami, Tampa and Jacksonville. Following are links to each of their websites. In addition, there is one, 800 number to call.  It is: 1-800-222-1222.

Miami Poison Information Center: Website

Tampa Poison Information Center: Website

Jacksonville Poison Information Center: Website

Lee, Collier and Charlotte County Child Injury Attorney,  Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.