Parents should never refer to pills as “candy” when trying to encourage their children to take their medication, a safety expert has warned.
While that’s a great short-term solution, it could put children at risk of a potentially fatal overdose in the future, says Steve Brownett-Gale of the drug packaging company.
“When your child is sick and doesn’t want to swallow the medicine despite your best efforts, it can be tempting and easy to call the pills ‘candy,'” he says, adding that if your child ever gets to the medicine unsupervised, they won’t he realized that he should only take it when he is sick and in a certain dose.
He adds that you should teach your child about safe drug use from an early age and make sure to praise and reward him when he follows rules to encourage good behavior.
Brownett-Gale also stresses the importance of keeping medications in their original packaging.
“Children are naturally curious and see the world differently,” he says, adding that it can be very dangerous if they grab something they shouldn’t, thinking it’s a toy or candy.
According to NHS data, of all recorded children admitted to hospital due to poisoning, 70 percent are due to accidental ingestion of medication, reports The Sun.
“Remember, keep all medications out of children’s reach, high on a shelf or in a locked cabinet,” Brownett-Gale emphasizes.
