Protect Kids: Keep Medicines ‘Up and Away and Out of Sight’

Too many kids are overdosing on medicines found in the home, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

To help stop the problem, the CDC and other groups have launched an educational program for parents called “Up and Away and Out of Sight.”

“Parents may not be aware of the danger posed by leaving medications where young children can reach them,” said Dan Budnitz, MD, director of the CDC’s Medication Safety Program.

“In recent years, the number of accidental overdoses in young children has increased by 20 percent. A few simple steps, done every time, can protect our children.”

Parents should:

• Store all medicines and vitamins in a place that kids can’t reach or see.
• Put medicines and vitamins away every time you use them. Never leave them on the kitchen counter or at a sick child’s bedside.
• Make sure the safety cap is locked. Twist the cap until you hear it click.

For more great tips on keeping medicines out of kids hands, click here.