why is 12 the magical age for drug store medicine?

Question

Every time you read the back of a medicine box the age is always 12 when you are considered an adult. Why is this?

In: Biology

Answer 1

To be an adult in the eyes of how medicine is dosed, is based on weight. For most drugs, you become an adult at 100 lbs or 45kg. The average weight generally reaches that amount at 12. Children use weight based dosing and adults have fixed dosing. Once you are beyond a certain size, you can use standardized dosing, however, that can break down in the obese.