Newspapers / Olin News (Brevard, N.C.) / July 1, 1975, edition 1 / Page 31
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31 CAN YOU SWALLOW Yes, people do swallow pull-tabs. Here is an x-ray of one that got caught in a vic tim's esophagus. BaCK IN the mid-sixties, the opener that punched holes in beer and soft drink cans went the way of the button hook. Almost overnight a new means of opening cans was introduced—the pull-tab. Just as quickly, pull-tabs became a new way to litter the landscape. The dis carded rings and tabs even showed up in the intestinal tracts of fowl, fish and animals. Doctors’ reports show that ducks aren’t the only ones swallowing the tabs. Many beverage drinkers get the bright idea of dropping the tabs into the can before drinking the con tents. Every once in a while, the tab goes down with the drink. One young beer-drinker was ad mitted to a hospital emergency room in pain with a pull-tab lodged in his esophagus. He spent the next three days in the hospital. After the tab was removed, he had to be fed intra venously, then restricted to a liquid diet until the ragged tears in his esophageal wall were healed. A beer-drinking soldier gulped down a tab that lodged in his tra chea without even realizing it. The tab was removed surgically when it caused complications with another chest injury two years later. A five-year-old boy from Illinois was luckier; he swallowed a tab along with his soda pop and it passed through his system in a few days without causing any discom fort at all. Dr. Lee E Rogers, of Northwest ern University, and Dr. John P. Igini, of Loyola University in Chicago, who have been studying the prob lem, admit that “the odds are long” on swallowing a pull-tab. But they point out that thousands of cans of soft drinks and beer are consumed daily, so it’s not surprising that such cases do occur. They suggest that people dispose of the tabs separately in a waste receptacle. Or the tab can be placed in a pocket or worn like a finger ring until the can has been emptied, then slipped through the can slot for dis posal. Whichever method you find the easiest, be on the safe side—keep tabs on the pull-tab. □ from Family Safety WILLIAM S. SPIVEY, materials manager in Film. Division plant at Pisgah Forest, has been trans ferred to corporate headquarters at Stamford, Conn., as manager of corporate planning analysis. He was employed by Olin in June 1969 as an operations research analyst in the Systems and Computer Opera tions of the Fine Paper and Film Group, and moved to the Film Divi sion post in 1971. He is a native of Alexander City, Ala., where he graduated from partment in both Benjamin Russell High School. He earned his B.S. and Masters de grees at the Uni versity of Ala bama, both in In dustrial Engineer ing. He was an instructor and re search assistant in the Industrial Engineering De undergraduate and graduate schools. He was a mem ber of Delta Tau Delta social fra ternity, Pi Mu Epsilon math frater nity, and Alpha Pi Mu industrial engineering fraternity. He is a member of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers. ARVIL R. BALDING has been appointed materials coordinator in the Ecusta Paper Division. He was employed by Olin in De cember 1958. He served as materials sched uler before his new assignment. A native of Mad ison County, he entered the U. S. Army after grad ¬ uating from high school at Waynes ville. After two years of active duty he served another seven years in the U. S. Army Reserves.
Olin News (Brevard, N.C.)
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July 1, 1975, edition 1
31
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