CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — Dr. Rutchelle Simene, Toxicology Consultant and Medical Officer of Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), stressed the importance of keeping poison products away from children, pointing out that human activities such as garbage disposal, environmental pollution, and neglecting certain chemicals can lead to poisonings nowadays.
“Gi-involve namo ang community kay tulo ang among observation, especially sa atong province naay una sa accidental, aksidente kay ang bata nakainom og kerosene, nakainom og rubbing alcohol, nakainom og efficascent kay wala gibutang sa sakto nga butanganan. Nakainom og muriatic acid kay abi og softdrink kay gibutang diay sa baso. So, ing-ana nga klase nga poisoning,” he said during Talakayan sa PIA: Konsutayo Series at SM City CDO Uptown.
(Yes, we involved the community because we have three observations, especially in our province. The first one is accidental—an accident because the child drank kerosene, drank rubbing alcohol, and drank efficascent because it was not put in the right place. The child mistakenly ingested muriatic acid, mistaking it for sprite due to its placement in a glass. So, that kind of poisoning.)
The second observation, as described by Simene, includes a higher rate of substance abuse.
“Daghan madala sa hospital nga nagstroke or nag-heart attack or naay chest discomfort kay tag-as kaayog blood pressure (BP), paspas kaayo ang heart rate, pero nakagamit man diay og bawal na droga,” he said.
(Many individuals who have experienced a stroke, heart attack, or chest discomfort due to elevated blood pressure or a rapid heartbeat end up in the hospital, only to discover they have engaged in illicit drug use.)
Third, bullying has led to an increase in depressive cases. “Gi-bully daw sila mao nang giinom na lang og paracetamol nga 50 ka tabletas, or naa’y family problem, nag-away iyang mama ug papa so, iya nalang gibuhat is iya nalang giinom ang Zonrox,” the doctor said.
(They were bullied, so they just drank fifty (50) tablets of paracetamol, or there was a family problem; their mom and dad were fighting, so what they did was just drink Zonrox, a household cleaning product.)
In the government’s poisoning prevention campaign, centered around the theme “Community and Collaboration,” Simene revealed that they are visiting various communities and hospitals to instruct frontline staff and medical professionals on how to effectively educate their communities.
This includes emphasizing the importance of keeping products out of children’s reach, educating them about the harmful effects of substance abuse, and emphasizing the importance of avoiding the disposal of waste, particularly plastics, as it can negatively impact the environment and animals.
Meanwhile, regulations govern highly poisonous chemicals or drugs. The doctor said they are all regulated because there are many agencies that regulate them, whether they’re chemicals or pesticides. The Philippine Pesticide Agency, or association, regulates them alongside the Department of Agriculture. The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for regulation in the field of medicine. Then, among illegal drugs, there are highly scheduled or regulated drugs, there is the Dangerous Drugs Board.
Proclamation No. 1777, issued in 2009, called for the annual observance of the National Poison Prevention Week to raise poisoning awareness, promote preventive measures, and encourage collaboration among various stakeholders in order to reduce poisoning cases and deaths in the country. (JMOR/PIA-10)
