My child swallowed cannabis: what to do in Switzerland

Suspected cannabis ingestion by a child in Switzerland: call 145 for poisoning advice or 144 in an acute emergency. Information to prepare and prevention.

A partly eaten cake, an open bottle or a missing portion: you do not need certainty that your child swallowed cannabis before asking for help. Explain the suspicion openly. This guide helps parents, grandparents and other caregivers in Switzerland gather information for professional advice. It is not a way to assess a possible poisoning independently or wait it out at home.

1. Suspected ingestion: contact the appropriate service

Tox Info Suisse provides advice on 145 around the clock for poisoning and suspected poisoning. Explain immediately that a child may have taken a cannabis product. Describe the child’s condition now. Whether home observation is sufficient or an examination is needed is a matter for professional assessment, not a decision made from this article.

In an acute emergency, 144 takes priority. If the condition deteriorates significantly while waiting or after initial advice, seek help again or call emergency services immediately as appropriate. Do not delay to calculate THC, locate a laboratory report or contact the seller. Missing packaging is not a reason to wait either.

2. Information that helps during the call

Give the child’s age and approximate weight, your location, a callback number and current observations. Describe what you see, such as unusual sleepiness, rather than making a diagnosis. Say when something is unknown. You do not need to weigh the child precisely or reconstruct the complete story before calling.

Important details include the product, possible route of exposure, time or time window and the maximum possible amount. Distinguish observation from suspicion: ‘One piece is missing; I do not know whether it was eaten.’ Mention any other accessible medicines, alcohol or substances, steps already taken and changes during the conversation.

3. Edible, oil or medicine: identify the actual product

Have the original packaging, bottle or a readable label photograph available without delaying the call or supervision. For homemade food, describe known ingredients and preparation. Explicitly identify unknown concentration or distribution as unknown. A prescription, club card or strain name does not establish how much a child actually took.

A CBD label or low stated THC content is not enough to give an all-clear yourself. The professional needs the particular product and its other ingredients. Do not independently convert bottle contents, mg per ml, drops and percentages into a supposedly safe child dose. Mention all products that were accessible if there was more than one.

4. Do not apply adult tips or home remedies

Cannabis can cause serious poisoning effects in children. General suggestions for an adult having an unpleasant cannabis experience are therefore not the appropriate plan. An apparently small amount, initially normal behaviour or an adult’s personal experience does not establish a safe waiting period. Ask for professional assessment.

Do not induce vomiting. Do not give activated charcoal, medicines or other products intended to neutralise the effects without professional instructions. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious child or one who cannot swallow safely. Ask about food, drink and other measures during the call rather than following an online list of remedies.

guidance after excessive cannabis use by adults

5. Stay with the child and communicate instructions

Do not leave the child alone and prevent further access to the product. If a second adult is available, they can collect packaging and care for other children while you remain with the affected child and make the call. Follow the poison service’s or emergency dispatcher’s instructions. Ask for clarification rather than adding a measure yourself.

Record the instructions, when they were given and what changed afterwards. If another caregiver takes over, pass on the suspected exposure, product, observations and agreed plan. ‘We already checked’ is insufficient without those details. If travel is recommended, ask how to arrange it; the child needs supervision and the journey must be safe.

6. After assessment: get a specific plan

If home observation is recommended or the child returns after an examination, ask for clear next steps: what to watch for, how long the individual instructions apply and whom to contact if anything changes. This article sets no universal observation period. A quieter spell or sleep alone does not prove that the risk has passed.

Questions about records or a possible product complaint come after necessary care. Tell healthcare professionals honestly what was accessible; do not alter the account out of fear or embarrassment. This guide promises neither legal consequences nor their absence. The immediate task is the child’s medical assessment.

7. Prevent another mix-up or access

After the incident, review how the child reached the product: an open bag, a visitor’s coat pocket, a drawer or a bedside bottle. Keep cannabis products and medicines locked away and inaccessible to children. A written warning or a pack placed high up is not a substitute for genuinely secure storage.

Store cannabis edibles separately from ordinary snacks and never transfer them into familiar sweet packaging. Preserve original labels on oils and medicines. Agree secure storage with visitors and other caregivers too. A child-resistant closure adds a barrier; it is not a guarantee. Deliberate cannabis use by adolescents belongs with the separate parental guide and is a different situation from accidental ingestion.

protect edibles against mix-ups and unauthorised access

arrange storage to suit the product

discuss cannabis with older children and teenagers

For the call: the essentials

• Acute emergency signs: 144; otherwise call 145 immediately for suspected ingestion.
• Give age, approximate weight, location and callback number.
• Describe the current condition and observed changes.
• Identify the product, exposure route, time window and maximum possible amount.
• Explicitly say what is unknown.
• Mention other possible substances and steps already taken.
• Have packaging available without delaying help.

This guide does not replace individual poisoning advice or emergency care. For a current suspicion, contact the appropriate service rather than waiting for a club, shop or online community response.