Kids of all ages spend a lot of time on the computer. To help parents, teachers and caregivers make sure they're safe, Akron Children's Hospital and the Summit County Medical Alliance is offering a free public conference — Staying Safe in a Wired World — from 7 to 9 p.m. April 3 at the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn, 3180 W. Market St.

Rob Nickel, an author and national expert on cyber-safety, will outline safety procedures parents and teachers can follow to protect children from cyber bullies, sexual predators and pornography. He also will review Internet safety planning.

''It's important for parents to know who their children are talking to online and to encourage them to speak with a parent if they should encounter anything that makes them feel unsafe,'' said Lisa Pardi, injury prevention coordinator at Children's Hospital. ''Establishing rules for computer use at home is a good method to prevent children from becoming victims.''

For information or to register, call Pardi at 330-543-3091.

This session is a pre-

conference presentation for The Internet and Beyond: Technology Safety for Kids and Teens, a professional symposium being held April 4.

Drugs 'health threat'

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today is warning consumers that some drugs being marketed on the Internet for the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases are ''a serious health threat.''

The products are sold as Tetrasil, Genisil, Aviralex, OXi-MED, Imulux, Beta-mannan, Micronutrient, Qina and SlicPlus. They claim to prevent or treat a variety of STDs, including herpes, chlamydia, human papilloma virus, cervical dysplasia, and HIV/AIDS. Some falsely claim ''FDA approval'' and some claim to be more effective than conventional medicine.

The FDA suggests that anyone using these products stop immediately and get in touch with his or her doctor. Consumers with complaints or problems associated with these products should notify the FDA through MedWatch, the agency's voluntary reporting program, at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm or 800-FDA-1088.

Cataract screenings

Mercy Medical Center and Dr. Sanjeev Dewan will offer free cataract screenings and surgery for those who are unable to pay.

The offer is part of Mission Cataract USA, an annual, one-day mission started in 1991 by a California eye surgeon.

According to Mission Cataract, nearly 20 million Americans can't see clearly because of vision-clouding cataracts.

Screenings will be held by appointment April 9 at Dewan's office, 4469 Fulton Drive N.W., Jackson Township. Patients who qualify will undergo free cataract surgery on May 15 at the Mercy Surgery Center.

To schedule a free screening appointment, call Dewan's office at 330-966-8461.