Mouthwash Makers Put a Lid on Pediatricians’ Complaints
The makers of Scope, Listerine and other mouthwashes containing alcohol announced on Thursday that they would start using child-resistant caps to prevent accidental poisonings involving small children.
The industry acted after the American Academy of Pediatrics and several other consumer and medical groups asked the government to order manufacturers to use child-resistant caps. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is expected to consider the request later this year.
The commission said 2,000 children under age 5 have accidentally ingested mouthwashes containing alcohol over the last five years. Over the last decade, the commission said, three children under age 5 have died after drinking mouthwash.
The alcohol content of mouthwash ranges from 5% to as high as 30% in the case of Block Drug’s Green Mint concentrate, which is more than most liqueurs. Warner-Lambert Co.’s regular-flavor Listerine is 26.9% alcohol. A few mouthwashes, such as the newly formulated Chloraseptic, contain no alcohol.
The manufacturers said that they would use child-resistant caps and label warnings on mouthwashes containing more than 5% alcohol. The industry imposed a deadline of Aug. 31, 1994, for the changes.
Procter & Gamble Co. went a step further, saying that until new Scope packaging is developed, it will send a free child-resistant replacement bottle to consumers who call the company’s toll-free number. P&G; also said it would work to reduce Scope’s alcohol content. Its maximum-strength formula is 19% alcohol.
A spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics applauded the industry’s move. “This is what we wanted to happen,” New Hampshire pediatrician Dr. William Boyle said. “We had hoped the industry would act voluntarily.”
However, Boyle said his group still wants a government regulation to force compliance. The manufacturers’ standards are voluntary.
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Vacation giveaway: “A vacation getaway . . . because you deserve it,” declares the brochure that went to winners of a recent Pepsi sweepstakes offered through 7-Eleven stores in Southern California.
Just get your checkbooks ready. As Los Angeles prizewinner Luigi Cimmarusti discovered, his “Gotta Getaway” vacation to either Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas or Monterey did not include transportation or meals. Cimmarusti estimated that his “prize”--a free two-night hotel stay for two, with a few inexpensive extras thrown in--would have cost him at least $400.
“A prize shouldn’t cost you money,” said Cimmarusti, who mailed the award back to Pepsi headquarters in Purchase, N.Y.
Pepsi spokesman Andrew Giangola said the sweepstakes rules and conditions were plainly stated on the promotion materials. He said 100 people won.
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Just say no: The caller identified himself as Dave Johnson, AT&T; fraud investigator. His request: Would Los Angeles insurance salesman Mark Feit accept third-party charges for a call to Mexico to assist an undercover investigation?
Feit readily agreed--becoming a victim of what telephone company officials call a “just say yes” scam. The AT&T; “fraud investigator” who called Feit last week was actually a con artist. He tricked Feit into paying for a long-distance call between participants in the scam.
An AT&T; spokesman said “just say yes” scams are increasing because the company is making it harder for phone-service thieves to use high-tech methods, such as electronically tapping into 800 numbers. Overall, telephone fraud costs $2 billion a year.
AT&T; warned that its investigators do not enlist customers in fraud investigations and do not ask customers to accept telephone charges. The company advises consumers who receive these calls to just say no.
