Children Can be at Risk of Accidental Medicine Ingestions When Visiting Relatives This Summer
CDC and Up and Away Campaign Urge Multi-Generational Families to Keep Medicine Stored Out of Reach and Sight During Summer Travel
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Up and Away campaign, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is reminding parents and caretakers to keep their medicines up and away and out of sight and reach this travel season and always. AAA projects that 100 million Americans will pack up and hit the road this year for summer vacations, and data from AARP shows us that a majority of these families will travel with grandparents or to grandparents' homes. This year, there are more grandparents than ever in the United States, up 24% since the turn of the century, according to AARP. With nearly three out of four older adults taking either an over-the-counter or prescription medicine, young children are at an unprecedented risk for accidental medicine ingestion.
"In the midst of this year's busy summer travel season, it's important for parents and caregivers of young children to be extra vigilant about safe medicine storage when traveling or visiting, so curious kids don't find things they shouldn't," said Dan Budnitz, M.D., director of the Medication Safety Program at CDC and a leader of its PROTECT Initiative. "We also urge grandparents to remain mindful of where they keep their medicines when spending time with young grandchildren."
Every year, about 60,000 young children end up in the emergency room after getting into medicines left within their reach. The Up and Away campaign aims to prevent accidental ingestions of medicine in young children by educating parents and caregivers about safe medicine storage. A printable tip sheet for parents and caregivers when traveling is available in English and Spanish.
The CDC and Up and Away urge parents to be prepared by saving the Poison Help number in their phones—1-800-222-1222—or texting "POISON" to 797979 to save the information automatically. Additional resources on safe medicine storage are available at UpandAway.org.
About Up and Away
Up and Away and Out of Sight is an educational campaign to remind families about the importance of safe medicine storage around young children. It is an initiative of PROTECT in partnership with the CDC and CHPA Educational Foundation. For more information, visit UpandAway.org.
About Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) PROTECT Initiative
The PROTECT Initiative is a collaboration among public health agencies, private sector companies, professional organizations, consumer/patient advocates, and academic experts to develop strategies to keep children safe from unintentional medication overdoses. For more information, visit CDC.gov/MedicationSafety/PROTECT/PROTECT_Initiative.html.
About the CHPA Educational Foundation
The CHPA Educational Foundation is dedicated to helping consumers lead happier, healthier lives through responsible self-care. Established in 2004, the foundation's mission is to be the trusted source of information on the responsible use of consumer healthcare products including OTC medicines and dietary supplements. For more information, visit KnowYourOTCs.org.
SOURCE Up and Away
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