In 1998 there will be an estimated 250,000 poisoning exposures in Florida. Poisoning is the 5th most common cause of death from injury. Sixty percent of poisoning victims will be children under the age of six. Twenty percent of callers to the poison information center will be senior citizens. Approximately eight million people are poisoned each year in the United States.
Poisoning is one of the leading causes of health emergencies for children in Florida and the nation.
Many common poisoning accidents result from exposure to household cleaning products, cosmetics and personal hygiene items, flavored children's medicine, adult medication and plants, as well as bites and stings. Approximately 400 containers of potentially toxic substances enter the average home per year. Over 250,000 drugs and commercial products are available for ingestion. Email Richard S. Weisman, Pharm. D., ABAT for more information.