Poison Prevention Packaging Act

Excerpt

The Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA) was established in 1970 by President Richard Nixon. The law’s primary goal is to ensure child safety by preventing accidental ingestion of harmful chemicals. The law states items such as prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, household chemicals, and other hazardous products must utilize child-resistant packaging. The nature of this packaging would avert children of the age of five and younger from easy access and provide a protected container. This has proven to avoid inadvertent prescription poisonings. This law has impacted numerous parties, including children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.

However, retrospective concerns have been drawn that the elderly and the disabled may struggle to open their medication due to the packaging style. As a result, several supplemental changes have been enacted that allow certain medications to exempt the restrictions under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. These changes have been made in the best interest of the patient, patient’s family, and national safety at the core of the discussion. As a direct result of the PPPA, children 5 years of age and under deaths decreased by 1.4 per million.

As listed on the legislative portion on Title 15 of the United States Code of Commerce and Trade, the bill includes but is not limited to the following substances: