Overview

A child can become very sick, or die, from swallowing alcohol, drugs, or poisons.

Alcohol is in beer, wine, and spirits. But it also is in mouthwash and food extracts. A child can become ill after swallowing only a little bit.

Drugs include over-the-counter medicine (such as aspirin or acetaminophen) and prescription medicine. They also include natural health products, such as vitamins and herbal remedies. And they include illegal drugs, such as cocaine and heroin.

And poisons are all around us. They include household cleaners, cosmetics, houseplants, and garden chemicals.

The best way to protect your child is to make sure that all alcohol, medicine, and household products are kept out of sight. This is a good time to check around your house to make sure that your child can't get to them.

The doctor has checked your child carefully, but problems can develop later. If you notice any problems or new symptoms, get medical treatment right away.

How can you care for your child at home?

• Follow your doctor's instructions about closely watching your child's health and behaviour.

Prevention

• Keep all alcohol, drugs, and poisons locked up, out of sight, and out of reach. For example:
  • Do not take your medicines in front of your child because they may try to do what you do.
  • Never leave alcohol, medicines, or household products out when you are not in the room.
  • Keep all prescription and over-the-counter medicine, alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, cannabis, and other drugs in their original containers. Most medicine bottles are packaged to prevent a child from opening them. Child-resistant caps on medicine bottles help but they’re not childproof. Other drugs may come in packaging, like plastic bags, that can be easily opened.
  • Keep other drugs, such as ecstasy, methamphetamines, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, locked up, out of sight, and out of reach. Exposure to even a tiny amount of these drugs can make your baby or child very sick or cause death. Exposure can happen in different ways, like breathing in second-hand smoke or vapour from drugs; being exposed through breastfeeding or breastmilk; transferring from clothing, hands, or skin to a baby or child’s body, toys, soothers, bottles, and other items; during diaper changes; or accidentally eating or touching drugs. Babies and children are in contact with their caregivers and everything in their environment, so exposure can also happen in many places, like in your home and other homes, in vehicles, and in public places.
  • Keep all drug-related items, like bongs, pipes, lighters, needles, spoons, and fentanyl patches, locked up, out of sight, and out of reach of children. Anyone who comes in contact with drugs or drug-related items should wash their hands and change their clothes before handling or feeding a baby or child or touching toys or other items.
  • Guests may have medicines with them. Make sure that guests keep their bags out of the reach of your child.
  • Do not keep products like oven cleaner and dishwasher soap under the kitchen sink.
  • Keep products in the containers they came in. Keep the original labels on them.
  • Remove poisonous plants from your home.