It is a horrible fact that our every home contains 62 dangerous chemical products which is more than the chemicals that any laboratory had at the turn of last century. These household products not only cause accidental poisoning in children but pollute the indoor air up to 70 times more than the outdoor air and also increase risks of cancer in children & women up to 54 times.
Some of these dangerous household products include windshield washer solutions, drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, insecticides, artificial nail removers, topical anesthetics, medicines, detergents, automatic dishwasher detergents, furniture polish, perfume & aftershave, mouthwash. gasoline, kerosene, and lamp oil, paint and paint thinner, cigarettes, tobacco products and rat and mouse poison.
To create awareness against these house hold poisons in children, parents & families is the need of the hour & emed is organizing a skit competition in students of 10 schools from the age 12 years to 16 years.
To sensitize the school teachers on the dangers of the house hold poisons, a meeting was arranged on Thursday, 22.1.2009 in Chenab Club which was attended by the representatives of the following schools:
- Beacon House School (Primary Branch)
- The City School
- Bahria Foundation School
- La Salle High School
- Sacred Heart Convent School
- Divisional Model School
- Kohinoor Grammar School
- Lahore Grammar School (Boys Branch)
- Government Sabria Sarajia School
- Lahore Lyceum School
Assistant Professor & Provincial Coordinator for Chemical Safety, Dr Khurram Sohail Raja introduced emed & presented the causes, prevention & management of household poisoning cases.
Associate Professor & In charge Coordinated School Health System of emed, Dr Zahid Masood Khan stressed on the need of proper school health system in Pakistan & presented future plans of starting surveys on malnutrition & preventive programs on cancer diseases in school children.
Senior Vice President emed, Mr Tariq Mustaq thanked the participants for their interest shown & participating in the skit competition on house hold poisons.
Member emed & representative from Beacon House School, Miss Zainab Rafiq proposed the idea of an on-line social club for the event of the skit competition. The idea was appreciated & approved by the participants.
Vice President HEAL in Punjab Medical College, Miss Moezza Samer thanked the audience for strengthening the activities of HEAL & promised to organize the said event nicely in the end of February 2009.