Before the PPPA was enacted, unintentional poisonings by both medicines and common household products were considered by most pediatricians to be the leading cause of injury to children aged 5 and under.

At that time there were about 500 deaths per year being reported for children aged 5 and under due to accessibility of these chemicals.

[1] The purpose of the PPPA was to protect children from ingesting harmful chemicals and prescription medications by accident.

[1] Some of the earliest attempts at controlling the problem of poisonings in children came about after World War II.

[3] As a result, with the exception of prescription drugs, manufacturers of certain household products that are regulated under the PPPA have the option of marketing one size in a conventional package as long as that same product is supplied in a popular-sized package, which is child-resistant.