DRUGS AND POISONS (CHILD-RESISTANT CONTAINERS) (Hansard, 13 July 1971)

§ Mr. Greville Janner (Leicester, North-west)

I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make it unlawful to supply drugs or poisonous substances otherwise than in child-resistant containers. It is estimated that about 25,000 children under five will be accidentally poisoned in the coming year in this country. Although perhaps less than 100 will actually die, no one knows how many of the rest will suffer permanent injury to the liver, the kidneys or the mind. This is an important and growing problem which has not been dealt with properly by any Administration. Over half the children who will be poisoned will in fact suffer as a result of swallowing medicines and drugs which were not in child-resistant containers. These are only the figures of admissions to hospital and there is still perhaps the same number treated by general practitioners or their parents who form no part of this unpleasant and largely unnecessary statistic.

The number of poisoned children is growing. In Leicester, in the whole of last year, there were 145 admissions of poisoned children aged under 5 to hospital. By the end of June this year there were already 139. In the circumstances, there is no substitute for parents or those in charge of children keeping these dangerous objects away from them, preferably locked up, but we must face the fact that people are careless and we must make carelessness more difficult.

Many of today's containers can open simply by being shaken. Pills may empty into a mother's handbag without her being careless. In some cases it is not possible to buy child-resistant containers from chemists even if one wants them. So even the parent who wishes pills to be kept in a child-resistant container may have no means of getting one.

So far as there is an answer, it lies partially in the compulsory provision of child-resistant containers. There is no perfect container, but I have a collection of various objects which some adults—some sitting beside me—have found not at all easy to open. Some are very 227 cheap and cost a fraction of a penny more than the ordinary containers available today. Others cost several shillings, but in either event, if they save lives and prevent the poisoning of children, their enforced use is surely elementary.

The cost to the National Health Service has been given as the main reason for non-introduction. We are told that this cost may be about £500,000 per annum. If we take even 10,000 children going to hospital for even 48 hours each at £10 a day, we have a figure of £200,000. If we add the number of days lost from work by anguished parents, we reach a sum likely to be far in excess of £500,000.

In any event, this cost should not be totted up in terms of money. Where children's lives are involved, even if this Measure saved 50 lives, 10 lives or only one life, it is worth putting on the Statute Book. With some 10,000 children a year being poisoned through the failure to supply pills in child-resistant containers—and with the increase in poisoning growing at the present rate, this is very likely—this Measure will, I hope, commend itself to the House.

There is no reasonable alternative to these containers. We know that they are not perfect ; some are not moisture-proof. Research is going on. In Leicester, Dr. Matheson, consultant pediatrician at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, is to publish a paper. But we cannot wait, and parents who see their children poisoned see no good reason why we should wait.

228 Also, those parents are often too ashamed of their carelessness to apply public pressure, but pressure is coming—from the medical profession, pharmacists, chemists and their trade paper and from hon. Members on both sides of the House.

I appreciate that, in the present state of Parliamentary time, this Measure is likely to have a short life, but at least I hope that it may be born alive. If it is, it will show the concern of the House about a serious and growing national problem. If I am given leave, parents will know that this is a matter which concerns us all. It will show that hon. Members are not prepared to let it rest until there is this minimal legislation for the expenditure of this comparatively trifling sum to save money and children's lives and, for far greater numbers, children's health, and to prevent anxiety and unnecessary strain and illness affecting so many thousands of our constituents.