According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Tessalon, a liquid cough capsule, pose a great threat to children that is why it must be kept in child-proof containers. The Tessalon capsules actually look like candies thus can be accidentally taken by children and pose a threat.

Last Tuesday, the agency said that Tessalon has been approved as an effective medicine to treat symptoms of cough among patients who are 10 years and older. However, the appearance of the capsule may just attract children who are younger to take it without knowing what it really is. This may lead to serious side effects and even death when taken accidentally.

Tessalon is sold by a subsidiary of Forest Laboratories Inc, a New York-based pharmaceutical company. There are also generic versions of the said medicine.According to the FDA, there have already been seven cases from 1982 where children accidentally ingested Tessalon or the drug benzonatate. Five out of these children died.