Child Resistant Closures And Packaging Be Used to Package Drugs, Cosmetics, and Household Chemicals

Child Resistant Closures and Packaging have been used to package drugs, cosmetics, and household chemicals. The number of children who have died from ingesting toxic household substances has declined significantly since the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulations were adopted.

Both CPSC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) require the use of this packaging with certain products. The CPSC administers the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 (PPPA) Regulations issued under the PPPA provide for Child Resistant Packaging of many harmful household products. This helps prevent children under the age of five years old from gaining access to those household products that could cause serious illness or injury. According to the PPPA, "The term "special packaging" means packaging that is designed or constructed to be significantly difficult for children under five years of age to open or obtain a toxic or harmful amount of the substance contained therein within a reasonable time and not difficult for normal adults to use properly, but does not mean packaging which all such children cannot open or obtain a toxic or harmful amount within a reasonable time.”

Child Resistant Closures (abbreviated CR) may be either a single piece or two-piece design. They require two motions to open making removal by a child difficult. The most common motions are “Push Down & Turn” and “Squeeze Lock Closures”. If the closure is the “Push Down & Turn” variety it usually consists of two pieces. The inner piece being a continuous thread (CT) cap. These closures usually have special requirements for the bottleneck dimensions that are not standard.