Hawaii Poison Center’s
safety record is intact

No isle children have died
from poisoning in the last 15 years

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Star-Bulletin staff

The Hawaii Poison Center has observed National Poison Prevention Week with a record of no deaths of children from accidental poisoning in 15 years.

Nationally, there are about 30 deaths per year and nearly one million incidents where children under 5 are exposed to potential poisons, the Hawaii center said.

National Poison Prevention Week is aimed at reducing those statistics through education.

Dr. Alson Inaba, Hawaii Poison Center medical director, said child-resistant packaging saves lives.

"But parents need to also remember that even child-resistant packaging may not be childproof, so you still need to keep all medicines and chemicals, which includes even the most common household products, locked up."

The Hawaii Poison Center operates a free, confidential 24-hour hot line if poisoning is suspected.

Parents should not wait for symptoms to develop before calling, and they should keep the packaging and poison item, Inaba said. The information will help the poison specialists deal with the situation and provide instructions if a child must go to the emergency room, he said, adding that most cases are safely treated over the phone.

The center offers these tips to keep children safe from poisons:

>> Do not let children out of your sight if medications or household products are in use; take them with you to answer the phone or doorbell.

>> Keep a bottle of ipecac syrup handy, but use it only if the poison center instructs you to induce vomiting.

>> Keep items in original containers. Close child-resistant containers securely after each use, or choose child-resistant blister cards.

>> Leave the original labels on all products, and read labels before using.

>> Vitamin, herbal and natural supplements are medicines, and vitamins with iron can be poisonous to children.

>> Always leave the light on when giving or taking medicine, and check the dosage every time.

>> Avoid taking medicine in front of children, and never call it "candy." Call it "medicine."

>> Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically, and dispose of unneeded, outdated medicines.

The Hawaii Poison Center receives more than 12,000 calls annually from the public and medical professionals, mostly concerning accidental poisonings of children from medicines and household chemicals.

The center estimates it saved Hawaii families almost $2 million last year in health-care costs by avoiding emergency room visits.

The Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children has been a major supporter of the center since 1995, when state funding was lost in budget cuts.

But after 45 years the poison center faces an uncertain future. Kapiolani has informed the Legislature it cannot keep the poison center going without a state appropriation.

The poison center's hot line is 941-4411 on Oahu and 800-362-3585 toll-free from the neighbor islands.