Unintentional poisoning injures hundreds of U.S. children every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and medications are a common source of poisoning. However, parents and caregivers can take simple steps to prevent the children in their own homes from joining this statistic.
To help protect the young people in your household, consider the following tips:
- Keep medicines in a central location – out of children’s reach. If you’ve had bottles of unused medication for some time, it can be easy to forget they’re in the house, making it even easier for kids to find them and hurt themselves. Store all medications in the same place, and make sure it’s out of children’s reach.
- Don’t forget supplements. Vitamins, herbal supplements, and similar substances can cause the same harm to children as prescription or over-the-counter medications if they are ingested in large quantities. Keep these in the same safe place you keep medications.
- Dispose of unused medication properly. Unused medications can often be dropped off at collection points, which may be found online or in the local paper. If no collection is available, mix old medications with an offensive substance like used cat litter or coffee grounds and dispose of them in the trash.
If you or someone you love has been poisoned or injured by a defective product or its packaging, please don’t hesitate to contact the focused San Jose personal injury attorneys at Caputo and Van Der Walde – Injury & Accident Attorneys. Our number is (800) 900-0863, and your initial consultation is free and confidential. Call today to learn more about your legal rights.