With the weather forecasters predicting warmer days and occasional breaks in the rain this weekend, perhaps you’re planning to tackle the annual ritual of spring-cleaning, venturing outside into the winter-ravaged garden or launching a long-awaited home improvement project. If an unexpected rain shower dampens the planned excursion to the local nursery or prevents you from throwing open all of the doors and windows for a good household airing, there’s still plenty to accomplish inside your domicile.
Rather than retreating to the couch for some NCAA tournament action this weekend, consider throwing some energy at an often-neglected area of your home — the inside of the medicine cabinet. If you’re quick, you could probably tackle this project during the halftime break.
In the process, you’ll not only be honoring the spirit of National Poison Prevention Week and making your household safer, you’ll be clearing some extra room for that toothbrush or dental floss that seems to tumble to the floor every time you open the cabinet.
Begin by grabbing a trashcan, raising the lid on the toilet and opening the cupboard door. Start by discarding any and all old medication — grab those orange prescription bottles, open them up and dump the expired medication down the toilet. We realize that prescription costs are astronomical, however, expired medication can be ineffective and potentially dangerous. It’s time to flush the old stuff down the drain. Ditto for those expired over the counter drugs.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has added a pair of items to the discard pile: the old brown bottle of syrup of ipecac and any containers of activated charcoal. Once considered essential tools for dealing with accidental poisoning, these two items are no longer recommended for unguided household use. The experts at the National Poison Control Center would prefer you picked up the telephone in an emergency, rather than attempting to assess and self-medicate a potentially serious situation. They’re as close as your phone at 1-800-222-1222.
Upper shelves or locked cabinets should be reserved for nail polish remover, toilet bowl cleaner, aspirin, mouthwash and all other pills, medicinal lotions and vitamin supplements. Although the number of accidental poisonings has declined over the past decade (thanks in part to child-resistant packaging and parental awareness) each year too many children are injured needlessly. Improperly stored medication, caustic household cleaners and seemingly benign topical creams and balms can unintentionally find their way into tiny mouths. It’s simply not worth the risk.
A few minutes invested this weekend spring cleaning the medicine cabinet may not have the impact and gratification of a freshly tilled garden or a coat of paint on the shed, but it could pay serious dividends in the safety department. And, isn’t that what really matters?
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