Glow Stick Concerns Increase Poison Center Calls during Halloween Season
Posted: Nov 01, 2012 7:35 AM PDT Updated: Nov 01, 2012 1:21 PM PDT
By Nina Harrelson, Reporter/Anchor/Executive Producer of Digital Media
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McVoy says the number one reason for those calls is children swallowing the glowing liquid.
"They're soft and pliable, and kids like to put them in their mouths, and what they don't realize is that when they chew on it, they break open really easily," she said. "It's got a chemical in there called dibutyl phthalate, and when kids get it in their mouth, parents are panicking because their child's mouth is glowing."
But she says there's no cause for alarm -- the liquid in those glow sticks actually isn't toxic.
"They do not need to run into an emergency room," McVoy said. "It's mainly just irritating more than anything else...It shouldn't cause a burn, but it is going to cause a burning sensation, and so the child may cry or be complaining that their mouth's bothering them."
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The poison center suggests that parents whose kids break open a glow stick and get the liquid in their eyes, mouth, or on their skin, should call the center immediately at 1-800-222-1222, so a medical expert can tell them exactly how to ease their child's discomfort.
