There are 1,500 calls made to poisons information centres each week. 50 children per week are admitted into Australian hospitals. Between 5 and 10 children a year die from poisoning.
Poisoning can occur through swallowing, skin contact, inhalation or by eye contact.
Children under 5 account for most unintentional poisonings. Children aged 1 and 2 are most at risk. More boys are poisoned than girls. Medicines and tablets are associated with one in three child poisonings. Most of these poisoning's result in hospital admissions.