Is Mr. Yuk on Vacation?

Despite product labeling and poison warnings on household chemicals, accidental poisonings of children continue to rise.

The latest edition of the American Journal of Public Health revealed that consumer protections regarding household products are inadequate even though voluntary agreements between government agencies and manufacturers exist.

Household products such as bleach, cleansers, and cleaning products as well as prescription medications and cosmetics remain a significant child killer. The Journal’s research found that pediatric mortality rates are increasing despite so-called protections taken by various governmental entities such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

According to the Consumer Product Protection Agency, deaths from poisonings have increased among children ages 1 to 4 from 1999 to 2008. However, according to the National Capital Poison Center (2012), the amount of poisonings has risen through 2011 for children up to age 6 with the most popular chemical poison coming from cosmetics (i.e. make-up, perfume, nail polish, nail polish remover, etc.).

Safe Kids Worldwide reports that nearly 78,000 unintentional nonfatal poisonings among children were treated in emergency rooms across the country each year since 2001. In 2010 alone, 72 percent of those treated were under age 5. Furthermore, Safe Kids also noted that 2.4 million people were seen at national Poison Control Centers in 2010 with nearly 40 percent of them being under age 2.

What happened to Mr. Yuk? When I was a child, that round sticker portraying the ugly green contorted face of Mr. Yuk was plastered on products throughout my house. As a youngster, I learned not to even touch a product bearing that puke-green-colored sticker. That was back in the 1970s, but what about today?

Mr. Yuk was actually created by the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh as a way to prevent pediatric and child poisonings. It really hasn’t disappeared; it’s just not as popular as it once had been. So, how are we protecting our nation’s children? The Journal of Public Health suggests that consumer product labeling be mandated by all chemical and cosmetic companies rather than being voluntary. This should extend to any poisons, including prescription medications and vitamins (particularly iron).

Here are five recommendations from the Environmental Protection Agency to keep your home safe:

·         Always store pesticides and other household chemical products in a locked cabinet or garden shed away from both children and pets.

·         Never leave pesticides and chemical products unattended when in use.

·         Use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container tightly after use.

·         Never transfer harmful household chemicals into contains that could be mistaken for food or drink.

·         Keep the Poison Help number handy: 1-800-222-1222.

(Note: Mr. Yuk stickers are still available. To order one free sheet of Mr. Yuk stickers, send a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope to: Mr. Yuk Pittsburgh Poison Center UPMC 200 Lothrop Street BIR 010701 Pittsburgh, PA 15213)

References:

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. (n.d.). Mr. Yuk. Retrieved from http://www.chp.edu/CHP/mryuk.

Consumer Product Protection Agency. (2011). Pediatric poisoning fatalities from 1972 to 2008. Retrieved from http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/108248/pppa2011.pdf.

Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Prevent poisonings in your home. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/poisonprevention.htm.

National Capital Poison Center. (2012). Poisoning statistics. Retrieved from http://www.poison.org/stats/.

Safe Kids Worldwide. (2013). Poison prevention fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.safekids.org/our-work/research/fact-sheets/poison-prevention-fact-sheet.html.