Bill Klaproth (Host): This is the Peds Pod by Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. I'm Bill Klaproth. And with me is Jennifer Taylor, Manager of Injury Prevention and Safe Kids at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. And today, we're talking about drugs in disguise, what parents need to watch for, and how to prevent accidental exposures. Jennifer, welcome.

Jennifer Taylor: Hey, Bill. Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate being here.

Host: Yeah, always great to talk with you. So let's start with this. First off, how big of a problem are, as we're calling it, drugs in disguise right now, and what are maybe some of the most common deceptive items your team is seeing?

Jennifer Taylor: So as you know, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. So, it is a very big issue that we're having. And how we're addressing it is that Le Bonheur did get a grant, which we have a program called the Opioid Safety Project Program, which is located in our same-day surgery, where if we do see that any of our kids are getting, receiving opioid medication, that we are able to educate the families if they're teenagers to get that information out, because we know there's such a big need on education for these families when it's based on opioid abuse, which is addiction. And we're here to address it.

Host: Yeah, I could see where opioids in the wrong hands would really be problematic. And I'm wondering if there are other things parents should be aware of now, things like THC edibles that kind of look like candy. "Hey, look, it's a gummy," but, hmm, not really. And other potentially dangerous substances that might be hiding in disguise. Are you seeing more of these things, like these THC gummies that kids think are candy, and they're eating them?

Jennifer Taylor: Yes. And because this is October, you know, Halloween is approaching. So, we definitely have to understand that kids are having a fun time going to go trick-or-treating. But we definitely have to be careful, because there are drugs that are intentionally designed to look like popular, like you said, candy, gummies, chocolate bars with THC, all these different things that we know that kids recognize and enjoy and think it's safe for them to eat.

So as parents, caregivers, we definitely have to make sure that we are protecting our kids, even in the homes. Making sure that we store those items, because, you know, of course, as parents we take Tylenol, just different things, medication overall, and we need to make sure as adults that we are keeping our kids safe by keeping it away from the kids so they won't get into it at all.

Host: And Jennifer, you mentioned Halloween, and this is always good advice. Around Halloween or really any time at all, somebody gives your kid candy or a kid comes home with candy, always good to check through that bag of candy after trick-or-treating. Is that right?

Jennifer Taylor: That is right, because many children can't tell the difference between regular candy and products containing drugs or THC. So as adults, we definitely need to even have that conversation with our kids and say, "Hey, we have to check it before we eat it and allow me to look at it so we can make sure that there's not anything that looks suspect," as we say. And making sure that wrappers aren't open there's not any pinholes in there where it looks like it has been tampered with, right? So, we want to make sure that we inspect it to the best of our ability to make sure that our kids don't get ahold of any of that.

Host: Always great advice. Make sure you look through everything when they come back from trick-or-treating, or again, if anybody gives your kid candy. And then, as a parent, as you're going through that bag of candy, like I did, I would just take the Reese's out for me. So, you know, there's a benefit in there too.

Jennifer Taylor: I know, right?

Host: So, think of that too. So Jennifer, you mentioned storage as well. How should parents store these things away so these kids can't get to them where they look at something and go, "Oh, this looks like candy"? I mean, we hear about these detergent pods all the time and kids ingesting these things. Not good. So, how should we store these things away?

Jennifer Taylor: So, we all have cabinets in the bathroom, so hoping to have them away from younger children especially, where they can't reach them. So if you could put them, store them in any kind of cabinets. If you can lock them, that will be even better. Even like you said, like detergent household products, those pods that look like candy as well, the detergent pods really do, and kids can get ahold of it and it looks like candy to them.

Almost like a swirl lollipop candy, but not on a stick. So, we want to make sure that it is far away from young children who can actually reach for it. So, we just say put it wherever you think is far away from that child where they don't know where it is, even for teenagers as well. They're very smart, and they watch you closely. So, you want to make sure that you put your things up accordingly.

Host: Yes. That is really, really good advice. So, what happens if a young child accidentally ingests one of these substances? Can you tell us what are some of the first warning signs parents might notice, and how quickly can these symptoms develop?

Jennifer Taylor: Well, I'm glad you asked. I would say if a child ingests any of those things, probably difficulty with waking up maybe poor coordination like they're off balance. Slow breathing could be another one. So, there's different types, even unresponsiveness. So, it can be very serious for that child who has ingested those drugs in their system.

Host: Okay. So, that's really good advice. So if you suspect something, like you said, slow breathing, coordination is off, if a parent does suspect their child maybe swallowed something dangerous, what should they do first? What's the first thing to do? And just as importantly, what should they avoid doing?

Jennifer Taylor: Families should seek medical attention immediately. If that child has ingested drugs, they need to call the Poison Control line, which is one 1-800-222-1222 and they are available 24/7 for any questions that a parent might have due to their child ingesting drugs.

Now, I would like to say, for parents thinking, "Oh, what should I do in the meantime? Should I just give them some water? Should I just kind of treat them myself?" We don't quite know what that child has ingested, but I think the best thing to do is to call the Poison Control line, and they can help give you the correct information on how to treat that child. And if that child is slowly breathing, we want to contact 911 for that.

Host: So if you suspect anything is wrong, 1-800-222-1222. So, good advice, Jennifer. And then, finally, what resources, educational programs, or tools does Le Bonheur Injury Prevention Team offer to help families and schools stay informed about these emerging dangers?

Jennifer Taylor: I'm glad you asked. We do have, like I said, the Opioid Safety Project. And so, through that grant, we were able to get take back boxes in different locations. And we would love for any families that have any medications that they're not using, that they need to get rid of, they can go to either Le BonHeur Outpatient Pharmacy, which is at 51 North Dunlap Street. We have a take back box by the outpatient pharmacy, which is on the ground floor, and you can dispose of your medications that way. And then, we have another location at Germantown Hospital by their outpatient pharmacy, which is 7705 Poplar Avenue, Building B in Suite 170.

Host: You know, I didn't even think of that, Jennifer. People with expired medications, and they just leave it in the medicine cabinet, if you will. Even though it's expired, they're like, "I'm going to leave it here." Well, that's prime for a kid to get into. So yeah, this is really important to make sure you take the outdated old medication or medication you've stopped, and I love the take back boxes idea. Probably the best prevention, get it out of your house, right?

Jennifer Taylor: Right. Just get it out your house. You're not using it. Why hold onto it? We have a place for it to go.

Host: Right. Get it out of your house, the best prevention. Well, Jennifer, it's always great to talk with you. Thank you so much for your time and talking to us about drugs in disguise. We really appreciate it. Thank you again.

Jennifer Taylor: Same here. Thank you so much, Bill, having me as well.

Host: You bet. And once again, that is Jennifer Taylor, Manager of Injury Prevention and Safe Kids at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. And make sure you subscribe to The Peds Pod on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts to get all of our episodes. And of course, you can find more information and resources at lebonheur.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels. This is The Peds Pod by Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Thanks for listening.