Medication Lock Box Project Expands Child Safety Across Kentucky
Accidental drug overdose and ingestion cases among Kentucky children have risen sharply in recent years. According to the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel’s 2024 Annual Report, cases of drug overdose and ingestion by children increased from 16% of all cases reviewed by the panel in state fiscal year 2019 to 35% in 2023, with pediatric fatalities tripling in just five years. The panel found that 80% of these cases were potentially preventable and more than half involved opiate ingestion. Fentanyl was present in 93% of the opiate-involved cases.
The youngest children are especially vulnerable. According to the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center’s 2024 report on nonfatal drug overdoses, children ages 0–4 ranked second statewide for nonfatal drug overdoses in 2023, with 792 emergency department visits.
To address this crisis, the Kentucky Safety & Prevention Alignment Network’s (KSPAN’s) Child Home Safety Committee, led by the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel, launched a statewide prevention initiative.
With funding from the Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy (KY-ASAP) and the Child Fatality Review Panel, over the last five years more than 16,800 medication lock boxes have been purchased. Each lock box is paired with educational resources, including the CONNECT brochure, “Six Tips for Medication Safety,” and a Child Home Safety Guide.
“The Medication Lock Box Project has become an integral part of our state opioid prevention efforts,” said Steve Cambron, Program Administrator at the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. “Since being involved in the program, we have been able to distribute 4,500 lock boxes to individuals in need so that they can safely store their medication, and prevent illicit use, and child drug overdose.”
Community-level distribution of the lock boxes and corresponding educational materials is coordinated through KSPAN’s statewide infrastructure but carried out by local partners. These community partners include Norton Children’s Hospital, Safe Kids Coalitions (Louisville and Fayette County), the Purple Star Program, school-based family resource centers, the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services, home visitation programs, local health departments and regional drug prevention centers, all of which provide trusted, local points of contact. These organizations serve as direct points of contact with families and are responsible for providing lock boxes at no cost along with brief, face-to-face education on safe storage practices.
The project’s statewide reach and sustainability are supported by several state‑level partners who provide leadership, funding, coordination, and technical guidance. These partners include the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel; the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (BHDID); the Kentucky Violence and Injury Prevention Program; the Prevention and Promotion Branch of the BHDID Division of Substance Use Disorder; and Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky. Together, these organizations provide the funding, guidance, and infrastructure that make the initiative possible, while KSPAN’s community partners carry out the on‑the‑ground distribution and education efforts in all 120 counties.
Key Message for Caregivers
According to the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel’s 2024 Annual Report Child-resistant packaging is not childproof. Safe storage, whether medications or firearms, is the most effective way to prevent accidental pediatric injuries and fatalities. Every caregiver has the power to protect their child by keeping dangerous items locked away.
This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of cooperative agreement 5NU17CE010064 totaling $1,250,000 with 0% financed with nongovernmental sources and by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) as part of cooperative agreement PON2 728 2200003056. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CHFS, CDC, HHS, or the U.S. government.
KIPRC, a unique partnership between the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) and CPH, serves both as an academic injury prevention research center and as the DPH’s designee or “bona fide agent” for statewide injury prevention and control, focusing on injury prevention translation and practice.