CHPA, CDC remind parents to keep medicines 'Up and Away' this Halloween

WASHINGTON - The Consumer Healthcare Products Association's Up and Away campaign, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is reminding parents to keep their medicines up and away and out of sight, especially during the Halloween season, as many children may mistake medicines for candy.



"This time of year, new kinds of candy are left out in many new places. For a child on the lookout for a treat, it's easy to confuse many medicines with holiday candies," stated Dan Budnitz, director of CDC's Medication Safety Program and manager of its PROTECT Initiative. "It's more important than ever for parents to practice safe storage and keep all medicines up and away and out of sight."



Every year, about 60,000 young children end up in the emergency room after getting into medicines left within their reach. The CDC and Up and Away urge parents to be prepared by saving the Poison Help number—1-800-222-1222—in their phones. Additional resources on safe medicine storage are available at UpandAway.org.