3 days Ago By By Michele Munz St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Children’s Hospital will provide 1,000 free lockboxes over the next year to patients at risk of suicide or poisonings, both of which are increasingly taking the lives of Missouri children.
The lockboxes are big enough to store several medicine containers or a handgun. Only those with a key to its padlock can open it. Families will be offered a lockbox when they come to the emergency department with a child experiencing a behavioral health crisis or accidental poisoning, health officials said.
“A locked box can be crucial to protecting older children, who may impulsively take medications as a form of self-harm or by accident,” said Dr. Lindsay Clukies , a Washington University emergency medicine physician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
The lockboxes are free thanks to a grant provided by the St. Louis Health Department. Missouri has seen an alarming increase in poisoning deaths among children under the age of 18 in recent years, according to Missouri’s latest child fatality review report .
For seven years prior to 2020, there were an average of 11 poisoning deaths a year. In 2022, that jumped to 62 — a more than fourfold increase. Of those 62 poisoning deaths, 43 were ruled accidental and the rest intentional.
The synthetic opioid fentanyl was involved in many of the deaths, the report showed. Fentanyl is prescribed as a pain reliever in shot, pill, powder, lozenge or patch form. It is more potent than morphine, and even the smallest adult dosage is enough to kill a child, Clukies said.
Trade names for prescription fentanyl include Actiq, Duragesic and Sublimaze . Many illegal opioids can also be laced with fentanyl. The number of suicides among children also increased between 2020 and 2022, from 35 to 42.
Of those 42 suicides, 25 involved a firearm and four involved poisonings. “That is unacceptable,” said Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis , St.
Louis director of health. “We are pleased to work with St. Louis Children’s Hospital to provide another way for parents to keep their children safe while preventing unnecessary injuries and deaths.
” The lockboxes come on the heels of a program the emergency department at St. Louis Children’s Hospital launched in 2020 to provide free gun locks to families . The program has since expanded to include 20 locations across the BJC HealthCare system.
The hope, health officials say, is that the lockbox program is successful and will also expand. Clukies also encouraged families to educate themselves on how to prevent poisonings, signs of overdose and what to do in case of an emergency. Children die from fentanyl because the drug slows and eventually stops their breathing.
Symptoms of ingesting fentanyl included drowsiness, loss of consciousness, confusion, difficulty breathing and small pupils. In addition to immediately calling 911, Clukies said, another safety measure is to keep Narcan, a nasal spray that works quickly to reverse opioid overdose, at home. This can be used for children and adults.
Clukies encourages administering Narcan if there is any concern about exposure — even if your child is not showing symptoms. “Symptoms develop so quickly, and it takes such a small dose in kids to cause significant issues and respiratory failure,” she said. In addition to keeping medications locked away at home, be aware of what medications and supplements are in the homes of family and friends and how they’re stored.
Clukies acknowledge such conversations can be uncomfortable, but they are important in preventing exposure. Using a neutral and nonjudgmental tone helps. Finally, dispose of any old medications.
The items can be taken to any drug take-back locations listed on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website .
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