§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will estimate the number of children who are treated in hospital as a result of swallowing other people's pills; and to what extent figures have declined since childproof drugs bottles were introduced;
(2) if he will estimate the number of children who are treated in hospitals as a result of swallowing other people's liquid medicine, and other unsuitable liquids; and whether he has any proposals for the introduction of childproof bottles for such medicine.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI am not aware of any statistics that bear directly on these matters. Those that are available on medicines do not differentiate between suspected poisonings caused by pills, liquids, or other forms of medicines. Nor do they disclose whether the medicine was for, or administered by, the child or some other person. However, a small survey of reported accidents with medicines treated in hospitals suggests that the incidence of poisoning from liquid medicines is much smaller than for other medicine. Medicines containers are not designed to be childproof, but several types ar child-resistant. Regulations were introduced in 1976 requiring Aspirin and Paracetamol in solid dose form for general sale to be supplied in child-resistant containers. Following these regulations it was found that hospital admissions of young children for suspected poisonings from these types of drugs had decreased by about 60 per cent. Medicines are required to bear a warning that they should be kept out of children's reach and I have no proposals at present for extending the range of medicines for which child-resistant containers are compulsory.