Medicines amnesty aims for better child safety

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 612, 14 November 1995, Page 10

Medicines amnesty aims for better child safety

Householders in the Waimarino and Waiouru, are being asked to clear out their medicine cabinets and place all their old prescription medicines into special plastic DUMP bags before taking them to a local pharmacy or collection point for disposal. Such things as pills, tablets, mixtures, creams, oint-

ments, powders, eye drops etc, should be put in the DUMP bag provided in this edition of the Bulletin and taken to a pharmacy during the Medicines Amnesty period from 20 to 25 November. On no account should outdated, unused medicines be disposed of in household rubbish or taken to the local tip, said Ms Liz Linehan, GHW health promotion officer who is co-ordinating the Wanganui Child Injury Prevention amnesty campaign. The campaign is also aimed at the storage of other household products such as cleaning agents, garden chemicals, pesticides, disinfectants etc. "We are trying to raise awareness of all substances that might endanger a child if ingested," said Mrs Linehan. Each year more than 10,000 children under five are poisoned and, of these, about 1000 of them require hospitalisation. It is the second highest cause of hospitalisation in New Zealand for this age group. Approximately half of these poisonings result from

children eating or drinking prescription medicines. The other half are caused by household products, garden chemicals and plants. An estimated 80 per cent of all child poisonings occur in the child' s own home, the main areas being (in . order of frequency) the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom. The DUMP bags (the acronym for Dispose of Unwanted Medicines Properly) should be taken to the following pharmacies or collection points in the Ruapehu Bulletin readership area: The Ohakune Photo Pharmacy in Goldfinch Street, Ohakune. Prices Raetihi Pharmacy in Seddon Street, Raetihi. Community House, 38 Queree Drive, Waiouru.