Ahh spring! The season of renewal and rebirth, deep-cleaning at home and garden prep. Unfortunately, it’s also the season when child and pet poisonings take an upswing.
Getting a clear picture of the extent of the problem in Canada is challenging, since poison control centres are provincially funded and each province has its own reporting methods. There’s also no federal record-keeping of poisoning statistics. However, in the U.S. the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) says more than two million poisonings are reported annually to poison centres. About 90 per cent of them occur in the home and 51 per cent involve children under age six.
Some of the most likely causes are household cleaners and pesticides parents use more often in their homes and yards once the mercury starts rising.
“Many poisonings from cleaning, automotive and garden products happen this time of year. Parents get so distracted cleaning up their homes and yards that they inadvertently allow potentially deadly substances to get within reach of small children,” emergency physician Daniel D’Amore of Florida-based Baptist Health said in a press release. “Worse yet, many of these products are designed to look and smell attractive, making them intriguing to already curious toddlers.”
One company that has helped to make household products a little safer for children is U.K.-based Macfarlan Smith. In 1958, they discovered Bitrex, the bitterest substance known. It was first used to make industrial alcohol unfit for consumption, and is now commonly added to household products to make them less appealing in taste to children. Bitrex recently sponsored the AAPCC’s initiative to clue in consumers on how to prevent accidental poisonings.
A few key poison prevention rules to observe:
• Parents and caregivers should be vigilant during spring cleaning about keeping toxic products out of the reach of children, even when in use.
• Don’t leave products open, even when in use; replace the child-resistant caps.
• Store products in their original containers.
• Opt for products that contain bittering agents like Bitrex to further reduce the risk that your child will accidentally ingest a toxic product when all other safety measures fail.
“Bittering agents are no substitute for careful, secure storage and parental vigilance, but they do help prevent a moment’s inattention from ending in a tragedy,” said Cameron Smith, Bitrex business manager.
It’s also a good idea to keep the number of your local poison control centre handy, on your fridge or some other common area in your home. If your community does not have a poison control centre, call 911 in case of a poisoning.
To learn more about preventing poisonings, visit the American Association of Poison Control Centers website at Aapcc.org, or review Health Canada’s consumer safety sheets on household chemicals at Bit.ly/198eCiB.
