Photo Source: http://www.upandaway.org/
We all know that medications in the hands of children can be dangerous. It’s essential to keep medications out of the reach of children.
Unintentional overdoses in children happen far too often. One out of every 151 two-year-olds each year is treated in an emergency room for an unintentional medication overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Every year, more than 60,000 children are sent to the emergency department after getting into medicines while their parent or caregiver wasn’t looking. By spreading awareness, we can significantly reduce that number. That is why we are inviting you to participate in the Up and Away Share Your Place program and encourage you to spread the word to your family, friends and social networks.
The Up and Away educational program is part of The PROTECT Initiative, in partnership with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association Educational Foundation.
To participate:
- Take a picture of where you store your medicines safely and then post it to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #MedsUpAway.
- If you are planning a family summer vacation, post an additional photo of the safe place you store your medicines while traveling.
- Program my Poison Help center’s number in your phone: 800.222.1222 in case of emergency.
We also encourage you to check out the resources on storing medicine in a safe location at home and while traveling.
And click here to take the pledge to keep medications Up and Away! You can download a coloring book to help you educate your child about medications too.
Leave a comment below with your tips on keeping medications up and away from kids.
