(March 17, 2008)  About every seven minutes, a child under the age of five is taken into a hospital emergency department because of accidental poisoning. In recognition of National Poison Prevention Week (March 16 - 22, 2008), health experts remind parents that "Children Act Fast - So Do Poisons."

"More than nine out of every 10 suspected poison exposures occur at home," Valerie Grober, D.Ph., pharmacist for Wagoner Community Hospital, said. "During the '60s - before childproof closures - the death rate from accidental poisonings was about 450 a year. Today, deaths are down dramatically - currently about 30 a year. Children are most at risk of poisoning under the age of five because they get into everything. They can get into cleaners stored under the kitchen sink, furniture polish left on low-lying tables, medications in unattended purses and even items on counter tops or inside cabinets."

Nearly 40% of childhood poisonings from prescription medications involve a grandparent's medication. These incidents occur during visits to the grandparent's home as well as when the grandparent visits in the child's home.

"Many older adults ask for prescriptions in easy-open vials because arthritis or loss of hand strength makes child-resistant closures difficult," Mrs. Grober said. "However, the combination of easy-open bottles and children can be deadly. If you can open the child-resistant packaging and there's ever a small child around your medicines, use the child-resistant bottles. If you must have the easy-open vials, make sure all medications are off the counters and bedside tables, out of reach and locked up anytime a child will be visiting. When visiting the child's home, keep your medicines secured in locked luggage or by using cable lock ties to prevent access by a child."

In recent years, the dangers of inhalants have been recognized by adding a second health recognition event to the week: Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week (March 16 - 22). Huffing is the dangerous practice of inhaling the fumes from common household products.

"Abuse of inhalants by middle school children has increased up to 44 percent over a two-year period," Mrs. Grober said. "It's now as popular as marijuana with young people. The products used in huffing are readily available and for sale legally in countless stores across the country. Part of the allure is that it works very quickly because it goes to the brain. But, it's like playing Russian roulette. Anytime someone uses an inhalant, it can be fatal. Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome is always a possibility and can kill the first time, the fifth time, the 20th time or the 100th time that you abuse an inhalant. In addition to heart failure, long-term use damages the kidneys and liver. Users can also suffer from memory and hearing loss and even permanent brain damage.

By the eighth grade, nearly one in five kids has abused inhalants. But, many parents are still in the dark about inhalant use. There are more than 1,000 products that can be abused: paint, glue, typewriter correction fluid, air conditioning refrigerant, hair spray, nail polish, felt tip markers, spray paint, air freshener, butane, cooking spray and even the canned "air" used to clean computers. Last year, more than a million people tried huffing.

Parents are encouraged to be alert to the warning signs of inhalant use:

• Paint or stains on body or clothing
• Spots or sores around the mouth
• Red or runny eyes or nose
• Chemical breath odor
• Drunk, dazed or dizzy appearance
• Nausea, loss of appetite
• Anxiety, excitability, irritability
• Falling grades or increasing problems in school

"When children are small, parents have to be vigilant to avoid accident poisonings," Mrs. Grober concluded. "As children grow up, parents have to remain involved. Many children think huffing is fun and are totally unaware of the very real dangers involved. Consider keeping computers and televisions in family rooms to avoid situations where a young person spends hours unsupervised and alone in their room. And, keep the lines of communication open. Set a pattern of talking with and listening to your child from the time they are young."