Zinc-air button cell and coin battery packaging have changed in accordance with Reese’s Law to improve child-resistant features.
What is Reese’s Law?
Reese’s Law requires safety features on button cell and coin batteries and the products that contain them, including hearing aids. The law was passed in 2022 after 18-month-old Reese Hamsmith passed from ingesting a button cell battery.
Why is There New Hearing Aid Battery Packaging?
Following Reese’s death, advocacy groups pushed for packaging design changes to reduce the risk of children and pets consuming batteries. Child-resistant packaging (CRP) for hearing aid batteries includes tight seals, warning labels and icons to prevent children from opening them. Hearing aid batteries may also have adhesive tabs that must be removed before use.
How New Hearing Aid Battery Packaging May Affect You
While hearing aid battery packaging may appear the same or slightly altered, they no longer open as before. The CRP design requires you to cut each battery out of its packaging individually instead of opening the entire pack at once.
That could prove difficult if you have dexterity problems, joint issues or arthritis. It can also make it tricky to replace disposable batteries on the go since you’ll have to coordinate different moving parts. It’s helpful to practice opening the new packaging so you can access them when necessary.
Don’t shy away from asking for assistance when opening those packages. Ask a loved one to open several of them at a time so you have easily accessible replacements. Some manufacturers make battery caddies to separate batteries and reduce the risk of shortening their lifespan.
Safety Tips for Non-Rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries
- Store hearing aid batteries in a container with a tight seal.
- Keep batteries in elevated spaces that are out of reach of children and animals.
- Educate your children on the dangers of playing with batteries.
- Don’t store batteries near food or drink to prevent your child from accidentally grabbing them.
- Take dead batteries to a recycling center instead of throwing them in the garbage.
Call the Poison Control Center helpline or National Battery Ingestion Hotline for additional guidance.
Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
Battery Ingestion Hotline: 1-800-498-8666
Hearing Aid Batteries from Hearing Associates
You can recycle old hearing aid batteries for free at any of our audiology practices in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. We also sell round button cell zinc-air batteries in sizes 10, 13, 312 and 675. Call 888-760-2032 for pricing information.