May 14, 2009 7:39 pm US/Eastern
Common Household Hazards For Your Teens
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
When a baby begins to crawl, most parents will start baby-proofing the house. But now as children hit their teens, a whole new world of health hazards crop up inside the home.
You've seen the public service announcements. From alcohol abuse to prescription drug overdoses, even accidental shootings, a third of all accidents that send teens to the emergency room happen inside the relative safety of their own home.
"Injuries, fatal injuries, disfiguring injuries, very serious injuries to adolescents, and most of them are highly preventable," says David Schwebel, Ph.D University of Alabama, Birmingham Psychologist.
At the University of Alabama Birmingham, researchers just released the findings of a safety study, looking at factors that can lead to child and adolescent injuries. After inspecting dozens of homes, they found numerous dangers lurking, including 29 percent of parents leaving guns unlocked.
"Perhaps even more concerning, we found close to 20 percent of homes had firearms that were unlocked and loaded," said Schwebel.
And substance abuse, from prescription medicine to alcohol, was also a major concern.
"Close to a third of homes had alcohol present and unlocked," said Schwebel.
But some New York teens CBS 2 talked to said it really comes down to an issue of trust.
"If I take something out of my parents liquor cabinet they'll notice and that's just not a smart thing to do," one teen said.
"My parents have taught me not to do that, it's not really an issue," said another.
Still, if you want to keep your teen safe, experts say keep them under lock and key.
"Hazards in the home can be controlled. They may not be completely avoidable, but they are controllable," said toxicologist Dr. Robert Geller.
Just as you did when they were children, health experts also recommend monitoring access to household products that have the potential for inhalant abuse. Researchers say a number of the homes they looked at also had no working fire extinguishers or carbon monoxide detectors.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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