Children Difficult to Distinguish Drug and Candy

In each pack of drugs there is always a warning to keep her out of the reach of children. This warning is important to be ignored, because according to research one of four children of kindergarten age can not distinguish the candy with the drug.

This figure is the result of research of a teenager from Ohio, United States, Casey Gittelman (12 years). Although carried out by a teenager, but such research has been presented in the forum of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Boston recently.

In that study, Gittelman mixing 20 types of candy and drugs in a box. He then asked 30 students kindergarten to separate between candy and drug, then as the comparison he also asked for 30 people of kindergarten teachers to do the same.


"I'm not too surprised when the children can not distinguish between drugs with candy, but if the teacher also can not be that surprising. I think adults can always be distinguished because it has more experience with these drugs," says Gittelman.

Gittelman observations did show, one of four kindergarten students have difficulty distinguishing candy with drugs. But more surprising, kindergarten teachers participating in the study are also not 100 percent correct in separating them.

According to Gittelman, a drug that is often mistaken for candy commonly round, shiny because they were given a special coating and is not marked or stamped to indicate that it is a drug. Gittelman suggest, drug companies should avoid the design similarities with the candy.

Meanwhile, according to data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers in the United States, cases of drug poisoning in children tends to increase. Between 2001 to 2008 alone, the number of cases of child drug poisoning and was rushed to the hospital increased 30 percent.

Most of these children should ingest drugs to another person. Perhaps because the colors enough to attract attention and moreover there are some sugar-coated, the kids expect it and ate candy and consequently be poisoned.

According to data published in the journal Pediatrics, the type of drug that often causes the child poisonings are drugs are almost always available at home. Among these sleeping pills, a class of opioid analgesics, cardiovascular drugs, diabetes drugs, cold medicines, aspirin and acetaminophen.

"Opioids are sedatives (tranquilizers) is strong, if consumed in large quantities diverse effects ranging from sleep and coma," said Dr. Michael Lanigan, in charge of the Intensive Care Unit at SUNY Downstate New York, as quoted by FoxNews on Monday ( 31/10/2011).