This New Study About Kids Ages 6 To 12 Will Make You Rethink Where You Store Your Medications

When it comes to worrying about kids getting their hands on medications around the house, most parents tend to think of babies and toddlers. So, we store our medicines up high or baby-proof the cabinet we’re in and probably never think about it again. When we think about mental health and checking on our kids’ wellness, we worry a lot about our tweens and teens. But a new report from Nationwide Children’s Hospital suggests we may need to revisit medication safety and start conversations about mental health sooner than we might think.

What did the study say?

Using data collected from calls made to U.S. poison centers, researchers found that there were over 1.5 million substance exposures reported in kids ages 6 to 12 from 2000 to 2023. Almost half of the exposures in this study were associated with therapeutic errors — think, the child took two doses of a medication by accident or was given it twice by parents who hadn’t realized the other had already done so. Sadly, some of these exposures also involved “suspected self-harm or suicidal intent.” (I know that’s heavy, but stay with me.)

The overall substance exposure rate increased by 54% over the last 23 years. Exposures that had to do with self-harm only accounted for less than 5% of those 1.5 million calls, but those children were more likely to be hospitalized or have serious outcomes. The substance exposure rate associated with self-harm or suicidal intent increased by 72% among 6- to 10-year-olds, 398% for 11-year-olds, and 343% in 12-year-olds.

The top five substances involved in these calls were:

1. Pain relief medication
2. Antihistamines
3. Cough and cold medications
4. Stimulants and street drugs
5. Vitamins

Most studies on substance exposure focus on unintentional exposures in children under 6 — essentially, little kids not knowing the dangers of medications and getting access to them when they shouldn’t. Or, research focuses on adolescents and their use of drugs recreationally or for self-harm. But this study brings to light the 1.5 million incidents of substance exposure in those in-between ages, and highlights how important it is that parents keep thinking about medication safety.

What does this mean for parents & kids?

Research like this is obviously upsetting to read about, but it matters. Scary Mommy spoke with one author of the study, Dr. Hannah Hays, chief of toxicology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center. Here, she shares her best insights for keeping our children healthy and safe when it comes to medication exposures, whether it’s accidentally double-dosing or self-harm.

Put a home medication safety plan in place.

This means you make all prescription and over-the-counter medications, even vitamins and supplements, inaccessible to your child, Hays explains — “preferably in a locked cabinet, drawer, or box.” This is because kids between 6 and 12 can easily climb to higher shelves or undo child-resistant locks.

Do the same with household cleaners, alcohol, marijuana or cannabis products, and vaping liquids. Nearly 96% of the substance exposures in this study happened at home, Hays notes, so this is the first big step in protecting your child.

Additionally, don’t store medications in purses or backpacks. At a minimum, make sure to store purses or backpacks up, away, and out of children’s sight. Ask that anyone visiting your home or taking care of your child do the same.

You should also try to make it clear that medication isn’t food. Don’t store the two in the same place, and never refer to medicine or vitamins as “candy” or “treats,” Hays says.

Parents should also add the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222) to their contacts so it’s readily available. Hays recommends posting it around the house as well, and calling even just to ask questions. “The Poison Help Line provides free, confidential advice from experts, 24 hours per day, seven days per week,” she says. Call 988 for mental health crises or 911 if there’s immediate danger.

Keep track of the medications you give your child.

Work out a system that works for you and your partner. Maybe it’s a physical notepad in the kitchen where you write down the date, time, and dose you gave your child. Maybe you decide one parent will always dispense the medication and the other will not. The easiest way is to use a pill organizer, according to Hays.

“Pill organizers that are child-resistant and stored safely can help keep track of daily medicines, and unit-dose packaging, like blister packs, can show at a glance whether a pill has already been taken,” she says.

Watch for signs of distress.

Overall, the chances your child will use medications at home to self-harm are low, but this study makes it clear we should be mindful of the risk. “Children don’t always say ‘I’m feeling depressed,’” Hays says. Instead, watch for red flags:

• Changes in mood, like seeming more irritable, tearful, or hopeless
• Changes in behavior, like withdrawing from friends, refusing to go to school, or acting secretive or jumpy while using their device
• Changes in how they talk, like saying they feel like a burden or wish they could disappear
• Changes in their health, like headaches, stomach aches, or changes to appetite or sleep

If these go on for more than two weeks or you just sense something isn’t right, ask your child about it directly, Hays says. “Sometimes kids feel so bad they think about hurting themselves. Has this ever happened to you?” Then act: Loop in your pediatrician or school counselor and make a home medication safety plan.”

Studies have shown that buying medication in blister packs instead of bottles can help reduce the risk of overdose, if you’re truly concerned about that chance, Hays says. “They don’t just cut down on accidents when a child gets into medicine; they also slow down someone who might be thinking about taking a lot of pills on impulse. Because suicidal and self-harm thoughts can come on suddenly, even a short pause created by packaging can save a life. In fact, when the United Kingdom passed laws limiting how much acetaminophen and aspirin could be sold in one package — and required blister packs for these medicines — suicide attempts and deaths from overdoses went down.”

It’s hard to think about kids who are only 11 or 12 feeling so hopeless, but it matters that we be aware of these numbers and do what we can: make their homes safe, know the signs of distress, and be ready to provide all the support should they need it.