Councilman David G. Greenfield (D-Brooklyn) is warning parents of the risk posed by new brightly-colored pellet-style detergent capsules, which have been linked to numerous poisoning incidents involving children across the nation in recent months due to their resemblance to candy. Nationwide, instances of children becoming sick after ingesting detergent capsules, which were introduced to the market earlier this year and are dropped directly into the washing machine, have reached more than 1,210 as of late June, up from 250 reported cases in late May. There are dozens of new cases reported each day across the country, with some incidents leading to severe illness in children. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that the reaction to these capsules is much worse than ingesting regular power-style detergent because it is highly concentrated. In response, Greenfield is urging parents to take extra precautions in their homes, including keeping detergent capsules and other dangerous household products in locked cabinets that children cannot access.

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