Poison Is Bad. Poison Help Is Good.
Poisoning does not just happen to children. It can happen to anyone, at any time and in any place.
Every 13 seconds someone in the United States calls 1-800-222-1222 because a person has potentially been exposed to a poison. Poison Centers also get calls from people who just have questions about poisons. All together, U.S. Poison Centers receive more than four million calls each year and poisoning incidents are on the rise.
Poisoning deaths are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of injury death in the United States. The good news is that, many times, when people call 1-800-222-1222, they get the help they need over the phone without having to go to a doctor or the hospital.
Health care professionals consult Poison Centers, too. They rely on the specially trained Poison Center nurses, pharmacists, and doctors for information they need to treat patients who have been exposed to a poison.
The Call is free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you think someone has been poisoned, call right away. Do not wait for the victim to look or feel sick. Do not try to treat the person yourself. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911 for an ambulance.
