Cleaning products are the second most ingested substance by kids younger than 5 years old. If you choose to use chemical-based products, be sure to follow these safety tips:

• Keep cleaning products, pesticides, paints and varnishes out of sight and reach of children. If possible, lock these products away.
• Always keep these products in their original containers, which makes it less likely that they will be ingested by accident.
• Get rid of any old or unused cleaning products and home care and repair products. The less around, the better.
• Consider using non-toxic alternatives you can make yourself. They can be just as effective as commercial products and far less dangerous in the event of an accidental ingestion.

For more information, see these Poisoning Prevention Tips.

Since laundry detergent packets and dishwasher detergent pods have hit the markets, emergency departments around the country have seen a number of children, generally toddlers, who have ingested (or eaten) these products. This is because the capsules are small and colorful, like candy, making them appealing. These packets and pods contain a thin, water-soluble membrane that will dissolve and expose the detergent when in contact with saliva or moist skin.

The best way to prevent laundry packet and dishwasher pod ingestion is by taking the following precautions:

• While laundry and dishwasher detergent pods can be convenient, stick with the standard liquids and powders if there are young children in the house. The pods just look too much like candy.
• If you do use liquid laundry packets or dishwasher detergent pods, keep them in a locked location or up out of children’s reach and sight.
• Keep packets or pods in their original container and keep the container closed.
• If a child gets into them, call the Poison Help line immediately: 800-222-1222.

For more information, see these Laundry Packet Safety Tips.

Parents aren’t always aware of the hidden dangers lurking inside seemingly harmless items, such as remote-control devices and musical greeting cards. What's inside? Coin-sized lithium batteries. You may know them as button batteries. These little silver-colored batteries power everything from toys and electronics to watches and keyless remote door openers for vehicles. If swallowed or placed in the nose or ears, button batteries can cause serious injury or death. An electrical current can form in the body and hydroxide, an alkaline chemical, can cause tissue burns that can be fatal. See these Button Battery Safety Tips.

Take these steps to protect your child:

• Search your home, and any place your child goes, for gadgets that may contain coin-sized lithium batteries.
• Keep coin-sized lithium battery-controlled devices out of sight and reach of children. These include remote controls, singing greeting cards, digital scales, watches, hearing aids, thermometers, children’s toys, calculators, key fobs, flameless or tea light candles, flashing holiday jewelry or decorations.
• Keep loose batteries locked away.
• If you suspect your child has ingested a battery, go to the hospital immediately. Don’t induce vomiting or have your child eat or drink anything until assessed by a medical professional.
• The symptoms may be tricky to recognize (they include coughing, drooling and discomfort), so if you have even the smallest doubt, don’t take any chances. Go to the emergency room right away.
• Enter the National Battery Ingestion Hotline (800-498-8666) into your phone right now. Call anytime for additional treatment information.
• Tell your family and friends. Share this lifesaving information with caregivers, friends, family members and sitters. It only takes a minute and could save a life.

For more information, see these Button Battery Safety Tips.

Alcohol

Underage drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States. Alcohol is the most widely used substance among America’s youth and can cause them enormous health and safety risks. Parents can play an important role in helping their children develop healthy attitudes toward drinking while minimizing its risk. Adolescents are less likely to drink heavily if they live in homes where parents have specific rules against drinking at a young age and drink responsibly themselves.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, studies have shown that it is important to:

• Talk early and often, in developmentally appropriate ways, with children and teens about your concerns and theirs regarding alcohol. Adolescents who know their parents’ opinions about youth drinking are more likely to fall in line with their expectations.
• Establish rules early on and be consistent in setting expectations and enforcing them. Adolescents do feel that parents should have a say in decisions about drinking, and they respect this parental authority as long as they perceive the message to be legitimate. It is important to be consistent.
• Work with other parents to monitor where kids are gathering and what they are doing. Being involved in the lives of adolescents is key to keeping them safe.
• Work in the community to discuss underage drinking and follow action steps to address it.
• Be aware of your state’s laws about providing alcohol to your own children.
• Never provide alcohol to someone else’s child.

Nicotine

If you have young children, be aware of the people in their lives who use e-cigarettes. If it’s a family member or caregiver, make sure they store their e-cigarette and liquid nicotine safely.

Here are some tips for parents and caregivers to help children stay safer around liquid nicotine:

• Store e-cigarettes and refill products where children cannot see or reach them in a locked location is best. Do not store them in a purse, which children can easily access.
• Use and refill alone. Do not use e-cigarettes around children. Because children like to imitate adults, using e-cigarettes and refilling them while children are nearby could lead to dangerous exposure. The images, smells and colors may be attractive to them.
• Refill, clean and dispose of products safely. Wear rubber gloves when handling liquid nicotine. Clean up spills right away with paper towels. Get rid of leftover liquid by pouring it into a bag of kitty litter or coffee grounds. Put empty liquid nicotine containers, paper towels and any other waste into the bag, and throw it away in a trash can kids can’t open. Once everything is in the trash, wash your hands.
• Save the national Poison Help Line number (800-222-1222) in your cell phone.

Recreational Drugs

Marijuana is the most commonly used mind-altering drug in the U.S., after alcohol. It's illegal in some states, but other states have legalized it for medical and recreational use.  As a result, there has been an increase in children inadvertently ingesting edibles infused with THC (the principal psychoactive component of marijuana), sometimes causing severe effects such as seizure-like activity and breathing difficulties. These edibles often take the form of a gummy candy. Kids are very creative and determined and can easily find anything resembling candy, and they will often ingest cannabis edibles in large amounts.

The best way to keep your kids safe from marijuana edibles is not to have them in your home.

Some other considerations:

• Store them safely. If there are marijuana edibles in your home, store them the same way you would store medications and other potentially toxic products. Make sure the products are in out-of-reach or locked locations. They should also be in child-resistant packaging or containers. Clearly label marijuana edibles and store them in their original packaging.
• Use with caution. Never consume marijuana edibles in front of children, either for medical or recreational purposes. Seeing the products could create temptation for kids. Using them may also impair your ability to provide a safe environment. You shouldn't drive if you've consumed edible marijuana products, especially with kids in the vehicle. THC use can slow down your reaction times.
• Avoid buying THC edibles that come in packages that look just like real candies. Be sure to put them back into an out-of-reach location immediately after use.
• Talk to family members, friends and caregivers. While the source of unintentional marijuana exposure is most often a parent, grandparents, other family members, neighbors, friends and babysitters can also be sources of exposure. 

If your child unintentionally eats a marijuana edible, try to find out what and how much they ate. Look at the edible's wrapper to see how much THC it contains. Call the free Poison Help Line at 800-222-1222 as soon as possible for fast help. You can also get online help at Poison Control. If your child's symptoms seem severe, call 911 or go to an emergency room right away.

How to talk to teens about marijuana edibles:

• Talk to your kids about the potential harm of marijuana to their developing minds and bodies. Stress the particular risks of marijuana edibles. The car can be a good place to have discussions or give your teen reminders before dropping them off at parties, dances and sleepovers, for example. Treat these talks the same way you'd discuss other recreational substances that are legal yet potentially harmful to kids such as alcohol, tobacco and e-cigarettes.
• Remind them to never drive under the influence of marijuana, or ride in a car with a driver who is under the influence of THC.

Make sure you know all the types of plants you have in your house or yard. If any are poisonous, either keep your child away from them or, better yet, get rid of them.