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Children too Susceptible to Opioid Poisoning More than 33000 people succumbed to opioid overdose in 2015 alone and almost 50 percent of them involved prescription opioids according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC. Prescription opioid misuse is a colossal problem in the United States. Not only adults even children can suffer from opioid overdose and in their case the consequences can be drastic. A recent study by the Yale University School of Public Health revealed that more and more children are being regularly hospitalized for treatment of opioid poisoning. According to the researchers one of the prime reasons for this predicament is the trend of prescribing opioids which is still very high. Consequently there is a greater presence of painkillers at home and most of the times children have an easy access to them. They also noted that most cases involved accidental overdoses when children mistakenly swallowed pills. It is expected that when a five-year- old finds a pill lying in the open at home he will get curious and most certainly pop that pill presuming it to be a candy. Proper storing and disposal of prescription medicines are important and the adults at home should take the onus of keeping the medicines away from children. “You want to make sure you put any medication out of the reach and sight of children” observes health educator Emmy Sasala from the Pediatric Trauma and Injury Prevention Program at Penn State Children’s Hospital. The study also noted that merely relying on childproof caps is not enough to prevent a mishap. While it may deter some children there are many who will still try them out. Even a little carelessness on the part of parents in storing opioids can harm the children at home. For instance mothers often carry medicines in their purses while venturing out. On returning if they drop the purse on the table or the floor children might be able to access the medicines.

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“An adult is most likely tolerant to most of the side effects such as sedation and respiratory suppression but in a child it could lead to a rapid onset of sedation and respiratory arrest” said Dr. Vitaly Gordin director of pain medicine at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Elders should feed medicines to children Although teens are big enough to take their own medicines it is better if parents or elders take this responsibility. Adequate information regarding the particular drug – doses frequencies and the purpose – can be shared with children for their better understanding. Educating them about the threat of an overdose is important so that they can be careful themselves. Even physicians play a key role in imparting proper training to patients regarding the safe handling of opioids. Proper disposal is important to check accidental opioid poisoning. Instead of storing unused drugs at home one should dispose them off in a proper manner by making use of various platforms including take back programs run by various organizations. One may even call up the local pharmacy for advice on disposing of the leftover medicines. Dealing with addiction When it comes to addiction the list of abused substances includes not only prescription opioids but even substances like marijuana alcohol and other illicit drugs. Prolonged and severe addiction are always dangerous and most of the times if not intervened can become fatal. Hence seeking treatment is paramount to escape the onslaught of addiction. If you have a loved one grappling with an addiction contact the Texas Drug Addiction Treatment to get information regarding drug addiction treatment centers in Texas. Call at our 24/7 helpline number 855-980-5757 for guidance on comprehensive and a long-term recovery from addiction. One should not delay the treatment or things can get out of hand. For more information please visit www.texasdrugaddictiontreatment.com