Early this year, videos of teenagers intentionally ingesting laundry pods began to appear on social media and were quickly picked up and shared by news outlets across the country. The video clips, part of the ?Tide Pod Challenge? and now banned from YouTube, reignited a national conversation around the dangers of laundry pods.
While the Tide Pod Challenge drew a great deal of attention to the dangers of intentional ingestion, the vast majority of safety incidents related to laundry pods come from accidental ingestion by toddlers or cognitively impaired individuals. With their colorful design and pleasant smell, it?s easy to see why young children often mistake laundry pods for toys or candy. And once you understand how quickly they dissolve, it?s not difficult to see how kids can rapidly find themselves in a very dangerous situation. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), ingesting laundry pods, whether intentionally or accidentally, can lead to seizure, pulmonary edema, respiratory arrest, coma, and even death.

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Top choking hazards for kids The AAPCC has been warning parents and caretakers of the dangers of laundry pods since 2012, and they recently issued an updated statement detailing the dangers of this co...