Doctor Warns That Calpol Is 'The Heroin Of Childhood'

A doctor has warned that kids are being given so much Calpol that he calls it 'the heroin of childhood'.

Apparently, children are taking about three times as much of the paracetamol based suspension than they were 40 years ago, and this is bad news.

Admittedly, Johnson & Johnson have only been making medication for kids for 45 years, but that's still quite an increase.

The BBC documentary called The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs featured new dad and TV doctor Chris van Tulleken.

Chris reckons that parents are giving kids so much Calpol because they are misinformed about what they should be giving their children for their various ailments.

Lots of parents give their kids Calpol to try to fight off a fever, despite the fact that the fever is the body's way of trying to fight off the infection by itself.

In fact, the advice that is on the medicine's official website says: "You could use a paracetamol or ibuprofen-based medicine to reduce fever."

Chris interviewed his own doctor, Dr Marlow, who said: "We have children almost addicted to paracetamol, to Calpol.

"Not the drug itself, but the process. Some describe it as 'the heroin of childhood'."

Dr van Tulleken, who presents the kid's medical show Operation Ouch said that it makes him pretty angry that parents are (in his opinion) misled with regards to their children's health.

He said: "It makes me feel very angry. It's not necessary in most of the instances they're talking about. We need to get the facts out there."

However, Johnson & Johnson said in a statement: "We strongly refute any suggestion that the information we provide to parents is inadequate."

The UK market for children's medication is about £64m, which is a lot when you consider that most of the things that children suffer for are not dangerous.

Experts at Edinburgh University recently found that paracetamol - the active ingredient of Calpol - can be very dangerous to the liver if taken too frequently.

Dr Damien Rowland, from Leicester Royal Infirmary, said that paracetamol (and therefore Calpol) should only be given to children as a painkiller if they are in distress.

The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs will be broadcast on BBC One at 9pm on Wednesday 23 May.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: BBC One, Children, TV and Film, News, BBC, Documentary, UK, Health

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a freelance journalist and LADbible contributor. He graduated from University of London with a BA in Philosophy before studying for a Masters in Journalism at the University of Salford. He has previously written for the M.E.N Group as well as working for several top professional sports clubs. Contact him on [email protected]

@TPWagwim