PARENTS should never refer to tablets as “sweets” when trying to encourage their kids to take medicine, a safety expert was warned.
While a great short-term solution, doing so can put children at risk of potentially fatal overdoses in the future, according to Steve Brownett-Gale.
GettyReferring to tablets as ‘sweets’ can be dangerous, a child safety expert has warned[/caption]
Speaking during Child Safety Week, which runs from June 5 to 11, he said: “We’ve all been there.
“Your child is ill and despite your best efforts, they won’t swallow their medicine.
“It can be tempting to make things easier by calling tablets ‘sweets’.
“But if your child were to ever get their hands on medicine unsupervised, they won’t realise it should only be taken when they’re poorly and in small amounts.
“Teach your child from a young age about the safe use of medicines and make sure to praise and reward them when they follow the rules to reinforce good behaviour.”
Steve, from pharmaceutical packaging firm Origin, also stressed the importance of keeping drugs in their original packaging.
“Kids are, of course, curious by nature and see the world differently,” he said.
“This can be dangerous if they get their hands on something they shouldn’t, thinking it’s a toy to play with or a sweet to eat.
“According to the NHS, of all the recorded children admitted to the hospital due to poisoning, 70 percent are due to accidental ingestion of medicines.
“Where possible, only buy or request medicines that come in child-resistant packaging and never empty them into easy to open or unlabelled containers.
“Remember, child-resistant does not mean packaging is entirely child-proof, so always keep all medicines out of reach of children – up high or in a locked cabinet.”