Safety store dangerous products and poisonous substances away from teens.

Feb. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- As your children get older, they may be spending more and more time at home without a parent or adult.  Think about how to remove the potential threats of dangerous products and poisonous substances, ranging from over-the-counter-medicines to windshield wiper fluid.  Talk to your children about the dangers of experimenting with dangerous substances that could easily harm them and others.
First, discard expired prescription medications and over the counter drugs.  Any medication that is still needed should be stored in a secure place, and you should maintain an accurate inventory of the number of pills in each bottle. Child safety advocate, Michael Pouls, shares a helpful idea:  “Some parents find it helpful to simply put an adhesive label on the outside of each bottle to mark, cross out, and re-mark, the number of pills remaining.”  It is equally as important to discuss with your children the dangers of experimenting with medications and potentially overdosing.
Second, check around the basement, living areas, attic, and garage for cleaning supplies and other hazardous chemicals that are no longer being used.  Again, any such chemicals that will be used should be stored in a secure place.  Michael Pouls offers the following partial list of common dangerous household goods to look for:  “Scouring the house for items such as oven cleaner, drain cleaner, window cleaner, furniture polish, hair care products, nail polish and remover, pesticides, fertilizers, gasoline & kerosene, antifreeze, and windshield washer fluid.”  As you collect the dangerous products, read the warning labels to your children, driving the point home about the perils of ingestion.  
Third, don’t forget about manual tools and power tools kept in the basement or garage.  There have been far too many accidents resulting from children mimicking their mom or dad using a power tool or piece of equipment.  For example, each year almost 10,000 children are injured by lawn mowers alone.  “It looks like fun and it makes noise – two things that appeal to children,” warns Michael Pouls.  Keep all tools in a locked cabinet, and teach your children the correct protocol for using them when you are there to supervise.
Fourth, alcoholic beverages should be inventoried, and secured in a locked cabinet.  Michael Pouls suggests that, “parents should not only keep alcohol in a secured place, but they should absolutely talk about why such a precaution is being taken. Explain to your children that while you trust them, you understand that peer pressure can be tough to ignore, and so it makes the most sense for the entire family to secure temptations and make it easy for children to follow the rules.”
There are other dangers in the home that perhaps won’t hold the potential interest of a pre-teen or teenager, but still should be monitored.  For example, make sure that all space heaters and fireplaces are properly vented and periodically inspected for damage.  Also, install carbon monoxide detectors in your home.  Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that can be life threatening when inhaled.  

For additional safety tips, please visit www.michaelpouls.info.