Latest news with #ChildSafety
Sky News AU
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'Unacceptable': Queensland government launches emergency audit to find hundreds of children missing from state care
The Queensland government has launched an emergency audit to find hundreds of children missing from the state-sanctioned residential care system. More than 12,000 children are currently in Queensland's residential care system through foster, residential and kinship care programs, but out of this figure 780 children have made the decision to leave state-care and "self-place" in a location unknown to the government. The Crisafulli Liberal National Party government is now working to gather the displaced children's names, ages and locations as fears grow they may be homeless or living in dangerous situations. It is understood when children choose to self-place, they lose access to government-backed support services and case management, making it hard to track their location. Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm said the self-placement of children was "unacceptable", adding it is essential for those missing from the system to be identified. 'Allowing one vulnerable child to self-place in Queensland is unacceptable to me, let alone 780 young people. That's why I have ordered a full audit of the kids in care who are self-placing, what support they are receiving and where they are,' she said. 'It is vital we have an understanding of how we can better support these vulnerable children to get their lives back on track and if they have a youth justice crossover.' Ms Camm said a "clear system failure" was behind the state's growing number of unlicensed operators in residential care who are not bound by strict child protection laws, nor monitored or audited by state authorities. Only 36 of the state's 146 residential care providers are licensed, with 110 unlicensed providers largely operating in the for-profit sector and receiving $474.3 million in state government funding. 'The fact the government had nearly no oversight of unlicensed providers, or recourse to ensure they are delivering positive outcomes for vulnerable children is a clear system failure,' Ms Camm said. 'The residential care sector is a billion-dollar industry built on the back of vulnerable children with taxpayers' money. 'It is critical there is oversight and these organisations know that if they do not perform, the government will act. 'It is critical we take the necessary steps to fix issues when they are uncovered to ensure children are being adequately taken care of. 'This Commission of Inquiry is about accountability, both ministerial and departmental. We need to understand how these system failures happened, so we can ensure they do not happen again.' The figures come as Queensland's 17-month Commission of Inquiry led by former Federal Court judge Paul Anastassiou KC into the state's "broken" Child Safety System holds its first public hearing on Wednesday. The government previously claimed the residential care system is failing children at a cost of $1.2 billion. "There is no coincidence that we have a broken child safety system and a youth crime crisis in this state, and we are determined to take action on both," Queensland Premier David Crisafulli previously said. A separate inquiry is also examining the rules governing unlicensed providers to care for vulnerable children.
Fox News
18-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Nicotine pouches pose alarming danger in US households, experts warn
Nicotine pouches present a heightened danger to children, according to a recent study from the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) in Columbus, Ohio. The pouches contain a dissolving powder made of nicotine and flavorings that gets absorbed through the gums and lining of the mouth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The research, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that there were 134,663 reported cases of ingestion of pouches, vapes and other nicotine products among children between 2010 and 2023. Researchers analyzed calls to the National Poison Data System related to accidental nicotine ingestions among children younger than 6 years old. Ingestion of the pouches soared by 763% from 2020 to 2023, as they were up to twice as likely to result in serious medical outcomes than other nicotine products, such as gum/lozenges, liquids, powder/granules and tablets/capsules/caplets. Gary Smith, M.D., director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at NCH, told Fox News Digital that nicotine pouches were not tracked in national poison center data until 2020. "However, between 2020 and 2023 (the most recent year of data from the study), the rate of unintentional ingestion of nicotine pouches by young children increased at a fast rate — even as ingestion rates for other formulations of nicotine declined," he said. The study found a 59% increase in nicotine ingestions between 2010 and 2015, which was primarily driven by liquid and solid nicotine products. From 2015 to 2023, liquid nicotine ingestion dropped by 45%, leading to a 34% reduction in overall nicotine ingestion incidents. The study had several limitations, Smith shared, one being that the National Poison Data System is a "passive surveillance system and therefore underestimates the true number of nicotine ingestions among U.S. children younger than 6 years old." "Because data are self-reported, they cannot be completely verified by poison centers," he added. Smith also pointed out that the study did not analyze nicotine dosage, and that there is the possibility of "miscategorization of data and missing data." Smith noted that the overall decline in nicotine ingestion could be linked to the passage of federal and state legislation. In 2015, Congress passed the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, which made it a law for liquid nicotine packaging to be child-resistant. "This suggests that legislation can make a difference," Smith said. There are opportunities for further improvement in terms of passing preventative laws, the researcher noted. "Many nicotine products are flavored and sold in colorful packaging that may be attractive to a young child," he cautioned. "Banning flavors in all nicotine products would help reduce unintentional ingestions by young children as well as discourage use among teens." Given that nicotine pouches present a "serious and growing toxic ingestion hazard" among young children, Smith calls for ongoing surveillance and prevention efforts. "Many nicotine products are flavored and sold in colorful packaging that may be attractive to a young child." The effects of nicotine toxicity include nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, fast heart rate, seizures, trouble breathing, coma and death, he told Fox News Digital. For more Health articles, visit Parents who suspect that a child has ingested a nicotine pouch should call the national Poison Help number at 1-800-222-1222, Smith advised. "The safest choice is to keep all nicotine products out of the home," he said. Otherwise, they should be stored safely and out of reach.
CNN
14-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
As nicotine pouches' popularity soars, they're also responsible for more poisonings in young kids, study finds
Nicotine pouches are a fast-growing source of nicotine poisoning in young children, according to a new study. Researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio analyzed more than a decade's worth of data, examining over 134,000 cases of children under 6 who accidentally ingested nicotine through products like vapes, gums, and lozenges. Most types of exposures fell after 2016. But one delivery method — nicotine pouches — shot up, rising more than 760% between 2020 and 2023. 'It's a high-concentration nicotine product, and it tastes good,' said Dr. Natalie Rine, director of the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital and co-author of the study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. 'There's nothing telling the kid, 'this is bad, you should spit it out' … and that's where you get into trouble.' The miniature white packets that users tuck between their lip and gum hit US shelves in 2014. They don't contain tobacco but are instead filled with nicotine, either synthetically or naturally derived, along with flavorings and sweeteners. The discreet, sweet and smokeless nature of nicotine pouches has raised concerns among public health advocates, who are closely watching their rising popularity among teens and young adults. They've become the second most-used nicotine product among young people, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Youth Tobacco Survey found that nicotine pouch use among teens doubled between 2021 and 2024. Still, the overall user base remains small. Just 0.5% of Americans use nicotine pouches, compared with 9% who smoke cigarettes and 3% who vape or use e-cigarettes, according to US Census Bureau data. Levels of nicotine in pouches can vary from 3 to 12 milligrams per pouch. At their lowest doses, they deliver more of the stimulant than a cigarette, and even small amounts of nicotine can be dangerous for small children. Ingesting just 1 to 2 milligrams — less than what's inside a single regular-strength pouch — can cause nausea, vomiting and tremors, among other serious symptoms, according to the National Library of Medicine. The study found that nicotine pouches were associated with a 150% greater risk of serious medical effects and were twice as likely to lead to hospitalization than other smokeless nicotine products swallowed by children, like gums, lozenges, e-liquids, tablets and powders. Although the vast majority of pediatric nicotine ingestions resulted in little to no harm, more than 1,600 children had serious medical outcomes, the study found. Two children died after ingesting liquid nicotine. Rine recommends that parents avoid using nicotine pouches in front of children to keep them from imitating potentially risky adult behaviors. She also suggests keeping nicotine products physically out of kids' reach and to have conversations with other caretakers, like babysitters and extended family, about doing the same. If a child may have ingested a nicotine pouch, Rine says, the best first step is to call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Trained staff can guide caregivers based on a child's symptoms and help them decide if emergency care is needed.
CTV News
07-07-2025
- CTV News
G1 driver caught speeding with several unbuckled child passengers slapped with 11 demerit points, 7 charges
Nottawasaga OPP pull over a vehicle for allegedly travelling 85km/h in a posted 60 zone on Adjala-Tecumseth Townline on June 28, 2025. A traffic stop over speeding turned into a slew of charges for a novice driver who allegedly had several unbuckled children in the vehicle in New Tecumseth. A Nottawasaga OPP officer pulled the vehicle over for allegedly speeding 85 kilometres per hour in a posted 60 km/h zone on Adjala-Tecumseth Townline on June 28. Police say the G1 driver wasn't accompanied by a fully licensed driver, which is a requirement for a G1 licence holder, and discovered six passengers, including four children not wearing seatbelts and a baby in a car seat that wasn't properly anchored in the vehicle. 'And the child was not strapped in,' police added. 'This level of disregard for basic road safety is unacceptable.' The G1 driver was ultimately charged with seven offences, faces 11 demerit points and nearly $1,300 in fines. 'Every seatbelt matters. Every child's life matters. Every driver has a responsibility,' OPP finished.
Fox News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Republicans scrap deal in 'big, beautiful bill' to lower restrictions on states' AI regulations
A deal that had been reached between Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, over how states can regulate artificial intelligence has been pulled from President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" bill. The collapsed agreement would have required states seeking to access hundreds of millions of dollars in AI infrastructure funding in the "big, beautiful" bill to refrain from adopting new regulations on the technology for five years, a compromise down from the original 10 years. It also included carveouts to regulate child sexual abuse material, unauthorized use of a person's likeness and other deceptive practices. Blackburn announced Monday night that she is withdrawing her support for the agreement. "For as long as I've been in Congress, I've worked alongside federal and state legislators, parents seeking to protect their kids online, and the creative community in Tennessee to fight back against Big Tech's exploitation by passing legislation to govern the virtual space," Blackburn said in a statement to Fox News. "While I appreciate Chairman Cruz's efforts to find acceptable language that allows states to protect their citizens from the abuses of AI, the current language is not acceptable to those who need these protections the most," she continued. "This provision could allow Big Tech to continue to exploit kids, creators, and conservatives." Blackburn added: "Until Congress passes federally preemptive legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act and an online privacy framework, we can't block states from making laws that protect their citizens." When asked about Blackburn pulling her support for the compromise, Cruz told Punchbowl News the "night is young." But Blackburn appears to now be co-sponsoring an amendment with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., that would completely pull the AI moratorium from the bill. Cantwell had earlier said that the since-scrapped deal between Blackburn and Cruz would do "nothing to protect kids or consumers." "It's just another giveaway to tech companies," Cantwell said in a statement Monday. "This provision gives AI and social media a brand-new shield against litigation and state regulation. This is Section 230 on steroids." Blackburn is one of several Republicans who have expressed concerns about the 10-year ban on state AI regulation. Last week, 17 Republican governors wrote a joint letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., calling for the pause to be scrapped completely. "AI is already deeply entrenched in American industry and society; people will be at risk until basic rules ensuring safety and fairness can go into effect," the letter reads. "Over the next decade, this novel technology will be used throughout our society, for harm and good. It will significantly alter our industries, jobs, and ways of life, and rebuild how we as a people function in profound and fundamental ways." "That Congress is burying a provision that will strip the right of any state to regulate this technology in any way – without a thoughtful public debate – is the antithesis of what our Founders envisioned," it continued. Some House Republicans also said they do not support the AI provision, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who admitted she found out about it a few days after voting for Trump's spending bill. "Full transparency, I did not know about this," Greene wrote on X. "I am adamantly OPPOSED to this and it is a violation of state rights and I would have voted NO if I had known this was in there."
