Poison Control Official Warns Of Prescription Drug Dangers For Kids

A spokeswoman for the Wyoming Poison Control Center is reminding parents and grandparents to keep their prescription drugs out of reach of children.

A recent article in the medical journal ''Pediatrics" reports visits to hospital emergency rooms because of kids ingesting prescription medications are at an all-time high. Wyoming Poison Control Center spokeswoman Joan McVoy says people tend to assume that because prescription drugs are prescribed by a doctor they are safe. She says that in fact many prescription medications can be deadly if they are misused, especially by children.

She says another problem is that people put too much faith in child-resistant containers, adding that the containers are ''not child proof". She says in many cases children can get into the bottles in a matter of minutes. McVoy  says people should avoid taking their medications in front of children and should keep them locked up safely away from kids.

She says that also applies to grandparents, who may leave their medications out where children can get into them without taking precautions when grandchildren visit. McVoy says one article she's seen indicates a large percentage of cases of prescription drug poisoning of children happens at grandparents homes.