Chemists aim to cut child poisoning again

Press, 16 August 1978, Page 10

Chemists aim to cut child poisoning again

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

“If it’s Poison, You can’t Kiss it Better” — this slogan was so successful in 1977 that the Chemists’ Guild has used it again this year in the campaign against accidental poisoning 'of children under five. More than 2700 children were treated in hospital for accidental poisoning during 1976 — on top of this there were the children treated by their family doctor, or whose parents did not seek assistance. The 1977 poisons campaign concentrated on children’s access to medication; the 1978 campaign covers all medication, detergents, and household poisons. The initial campaign covered three weeks in April, with a one-week follow-up in June. As part of this campaign, the guild is also doing research, using poisons admissions for children for two months before the start of the 1977 campaign, child admissions during the 1978 campaign, and admission figures on a monthly basis from May to September. This will allow any results from the June follow-up to be included.

Hospitals in Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Lower Hutt, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin aid Invercargill are taking part in the research, anc the Accident Compensation Commission has contribtted $20,000 towards the campaign, which is expected to cost at least $142,000. A recent example of what a successful campaign might help prevent was when two small children found i tin of caustic soda sitting on a neighbour’s back steps. They thought it was sugar and one of then, aged 3J, ate some. The Jesuit — severe burns to tie mouth and lips, and 21 days in hospital. In that esse, the caustic soda was rot swallowed, but if it lad been, the child mighi well have died. As i; was, even though first lid was given immediately, nothing could avoid the sev»re and painful injury once the caustic soda was pheed in the child’s mouth. The case led to proceedings in the Magistrate's Court; the chaige was putting a poison it a place to which young ciildren had ready access.