Fewer child poisonings

Press, 17 April 1979, Page 4

Fewer child poisonings

PA Dunedin The number of children poisoned by medicines last year was the lowest for at least tour years, according to the Dunedin-based National Poisons Information Centre. In his annual report, the director (Professor E. G. McQueen) said the number of inquiries about child poisonings referred to the centre last year showed a drop of almost 14 per cent compared with the previous year. Last year there were 265 accidental child poisonings compared with

306 in 1977, 327 in 1976, and 311 in 1975. One of the encouraging features was the tall in the therapeutic poisonings, "habitually the largest and potentially the most dangerous group." said Professor McQueen. “The fall in inquiries concerning children is particularly gratifying. This could reflect the safety measures implemented in 1976 when strip packaging for a limited range of drugs became mandatory and the campaign against accidental poisonings of children in the home,” he said.

The Department m Health figures fur hospital admissions showed a cum parable trend, he said Poisonings from cosmetics had changed little in numbers over the last few years and last year conformed to the usual pat tern. The 97 cases reported last year included the death of a girl, aged 16. who inhaled aerosol deodorant from a plastic bag. a girl aged 2, who ate gunpowder, a five-year-old who ate five lire crackers, cases of eating golf ball centres, weta bites and a sting ray wound.