PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Put Your Medicines Up and Away and Out of Sight

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About 50,000 young children end up in emergency rooms each year because they got into medicines while an adult wasn’t looking. These emergency visits can be prevented by always putting every medicine up and away and out of children’s reach and sight every time you use it.

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Families take medicines and vitamins to feel well and to stay well. However, any medicine, including those you buy without a prescription, can cause harm if taken in the wrong way or by the wrong person. Practicing safe medicine storage, while at home and when on-the-go, can help keep children safe.

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Put medicines up and away and out of children’s reach and sight.

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• Children are curious and put all sorts of things in their mouths. Even if you turn your back for less than a minute, they can quickly get into things that could hurt them.

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• Pick a storage place in your home that children cannot reach or see. Different families will have different places. Walk around your house and decide on the safest place to keep your medicines and vitamins.

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Put medicines away every time.

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• This includes medicines and vitamins you use every day. Never leave medicine out on a kitchen counter or at a sick child’s bedside, even if you have to give it again in a few hours

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Always relock the cap on a medicine bottle.

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Make sure the safety cap is locked.

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• Always relock the cap on a medicine bottle. If the bottle has a locking cap that turns, twist it until you hear the click or cannot twist anymore.

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• Remember, even though many medicines have safety caps, children may be able to open them. Every medicine must be stored up and away and out of children’s reach and sight.

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Teach your children about medicine safety.

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• Teach your children what medicine is and why you or a trusted adult must be the one to give it to them.

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• Never tell children medicine is candy to get them to take it, even if they don’t like to take their medicine.

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Tell your guests about medicine safety.

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• Ask family members, houseguests, and other visitors to keep purses, bags, or coats that have medicine in them up and away and out of sight when they are in your home.

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Be prepared in case of an emergency.

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• Call your poison control center at 800.222.1222 right away if you think your child might have gotten into a medicine or vitamin, even if you are not completely sure.

• Program the Poison Help number into your home and cell phones so you will have it when you need it.

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Take Action

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• Visit the Up and Away website to learn more about storing medicines safely while at home and when traveling with young children. Share these safe storage tips with family and friends.

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Prescription pain medication can be addictive—Even if a doctor prescribes opioids there are still risks when taking them, including addiction and death.

In 2018, an estimated 10.3 million people age 12 or older reported having misused opioids in the previous year. Misusing prescription pain medication is unsafe and illegal—It is illegal to take a prescription medication without a doctor’s prescription.

Taking prescription medications that aren’t prescribed to you (even just one time) can land you in the hospital or even cause death. Mixing prescription medication with alcohol can be fatal—Mixing opioids with other substances can cause dangerous side effects, including breathing trouble, coma, and even permanent brain damage or death.

The Consequences of Underage Drinking and Substance Use Can Be Devastating

The consequences of underage drinking and substance use can include but are not limited to 

• Injury or death from accidents

• Unintended, unwanted, and unprotected sexual activity

• Mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety disorders

• Difficulty with attention, concentration, problem-solving, learning, and memory

• Allergic reactions, breathing trouble, coma, and even permanent brain damage or death

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