Durban — A man allegedly had a drink of dish-washing liquid thinking it was a cold drink over the weekend.
Start Rescue said that on Saturday, the emergency service received an emergency call regarding a 57-year-old man in the Warner Beach area.
“On arrival, Start first responders established that the patient had accidentally drank dish-washing liquid, thinking it was cold drink,” Start Rescue said.
“He was assessed, but refused hospital treatment and decided to monitor himself.
“Hope he feels better soon,” Start Rescue said.
Start Rescue said that household products are the second leading cause of poisoning.
It said beware of look-alike poisons, especially if young children are present.
“It’s easy to mistake some harmful products or substances for safe foods and drinks because the product or the packaging looks similar to a safe product. For example, apple juice looks similar to a household cleaner and mouthwash, both of which are not safe to drink,” Start Rescue said.
Start Rescue gave three tips on the topic:
- Keep all potentially hazardous items in properly originally labelled containers and don’t decant any potentially hazardous items. Replace caps tightly after each use.
- Take medicines when children are not looking. (Children naturally want to imitate adults.)
- Lock all medicine up high, out of sight and reach of children. Ask family members and visitors to do the same when visiting.
Meanwhile, pushing for food transparency and protecting children, the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) has launched an innovative campaign called ‘Think Inside the Box’ to draw attention to the harmful ingredients found in ultra-processed foods.
HEALA said it wants to make sure people understand why it’s important for government regulations to require businesses to put clear front-of-package warning labels on unhealthy packaged food.
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