CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A two-year-old child is in the hospital after police say they overdosed on their parents’ suboxone.
Medics and Chillicothe Police responded to a Chestnut Street home Tuesday evening after a mother called and said her toddler may have consumed the medication.
According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), “Buprenorphine (Suboxone) is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) as a medication-assisted treatment (MAT).”
Reports say the child had gone into the mother’s purse and found a pill bottle that, according to the mother, had one pill and a half of a pill inside. The mother told police that the toddler had rummaged thru her purse and opened the pill bottle, taking the half tablet.
The mother told investigators that she was unsure, at first, if the child had ingested the medication. According to the reports, the mother attempted to force the child to vomit up the medication. The parent told police that she did not see the pill come up. Afterwards, police said, the child became sleepy. That is when the mother called 911.
Medics transported the child to Adena Regional Medical Center in stable condition. The incident, officials say, was reported to Ross County Children’s Services for a follow-up investigation.
According to a 2019 research study, more and more children are becoming exposed to buprenorphine (Suboxone) as a result of the ongoing opioid epidemic.