Liquid parafiin pot

HEALTH Canada is warning Canadians about a
potential for poisoning, or even death, to chil-
dren from drinking liquid fuel used in some dec-
orative oil lamps (sometimes referred to as liquid
paraffin candles).

Bopping to the beat

HEALTH educator Jennifer Scrubb leads a class of happy campers in music exer-
a B.C. Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Retreat held last week
apilano.The event has been-held yearly since 1982 and leads up to

cise durin
at Camp
Arthritis Awareness month in September.

HEALTH

of

The tuel used in these lamps is usually a colourless petrole-
um distillate. Thin, low viscosity, or watery like, petroleum dis-
Ullates are hazardous when ingested, especially by children.

Parents and caregivers should iminediately contact their
local poison control centre if there is suspicion that a child has
ingested this liquid. Petroleum distillates are regulated under
the Hazardous Products
Act.

Poison control centres
across North = America
report high numbers of
incidents from exposure to
a wide variety of products
containing petroleum dis-
tillates.

Since 1998.) Health
Canada is aware of one
child fatality. and. seven
incidents involving chil-
dren who were poisoned
after ingesting some of the
liquid fuel directly from
these decorative oil lamps.
Health Canada recom-
mends that households
with children under five
years of age avoid using
these decorative oil lamps,
which are attractive and
may appear to very young
children as though they
contain edible material.
Although these oil lamps
are decorative, any product
containing petroleum dis-
tilates should be kept
locked out of sight and out
of reach of young children.
Consumers may recognize
these decorative oil lamps
before they are set-up for
use by the following:

B glass containers filled
with liquid fuel, together
with potpourri or other
aesthetic materials;

@ coloured fiquid which
may be scented;

NEWS photo Julie Iverson

Sunday. August 20, 2000 — North Shore News - 21

ing curious kids

@ a wick attached to the outside of the container in a small
pouch;

glass container usually plugged with a cork;

Ma thick layer of wax or similar material overtop the cork and
the neck of the container.

‘The lamps may be sold already filled with liquid fuel, or they
may be empty containers to be filled by the user with fuel
bought separately.

Once the filled decorative oil lamp is opened and assembled
for use, the wick sits atop the neck opening. Therefore, the fig-
uid fuel can be easily accessed by simply removing the wick
from the container.

Parents are advised that even when these lamps are used
according to instructions, they become an open flame source.

Parents and caregivers should teach their children that these
products are not toys and are not food or something to drink.
(fa child does access the liquid fuel, parents should contact
Vancouver's poison control centre: 682-5030 or 682-2344.

For further information, consumers should contact: the
Product Safety Office of Health Canada in Burnaby at
666-5003,

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