JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — With the holidays fast approaching, many people have started their holiday celebrations. But as the festivities get underway, the Florida Poison Control Center wants to remind you of ways to remain safe this holiday season.
The center reports that this time of year, they often see a spike in calls for alcohol poisoning. Adults and children can sometimes confuse some adult beverages for juice or soda due to the way they are packaged.
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“A lot of times at these gatherings, people will put drinks down low, and children can get over to them. Many of the alcoholic drinks today are sugary sweet, so children will really like them, grab them, gulp them,” said Mike McCormick, Florida Poison Control.
While coffee, juice, and sodas are typically on the menu at holiday parties, the Florida Poison Control Center urges people to take a closer look at their drinks. Many cans are labeled with terms like “spiked,” “hard,” or “infused.”
Overconsumption of these drinks could lead to alcohol poisoning, but they are also easily mistaken by children for the regular, non-alcoholic versions.
“We worry right now is that we’ve seen an explosion in look-alike products. And by look-alike, we say they look like something else, but they actually contain alcohol,” McCormick added.
It’s not just drinks; some snacks pose a risk as well. Sweet treats and gummies may contain THC, which can be hard to distinguish from regular candy.
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“We really worry about the edible products because it’s hard to tell which ones are candy or treats and which ones have THC,” McCormick warned.
If any of these products are ingested by mistake, the Florida Poison Control Center encourages you to call them first. A doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or physician assistant is available to help.
“Call us first because the thing that we’ll do is we will triage the call to determine whether they’re going to need an ambulance or a lot. Eighty-five percent of the time, we can treat you at home for free over the phone,” McCormick explained.
The Poison Control Center call line is free and confidential, and takes calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They encourage you to call 911 if someone is not breathing, seizing, or is unconscious.
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