Poison Help

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, poisoning is the leading cause of injury death in the United States. Drugs—both pharmaceutical and illicit—cause the vast majority of poisoning deaths.  In 2015, 52,404 deaths involved drug poisoning, 84 percent of which were unintentional.

In 2015, just under half of exposure cases managed by poison centers involved children younger than six, but as in previous years, many of the more serious cases occurred among adolescents and adults.  Now more than ever, Americans need immediate access to a credible source of poisoning information and treatment advice—in a poisoning emergency, every second counts. 

Responding to more than 3 million calls each year, poison centers save countless American lives and millions of American taxpayer dollars every year by providing free, confidential medical advice to people who have been exposed to poison. Unfortunately, many people are either unaware of the availability of poison centers as a life-saving service or don’t have quick access to poison centers contact information without taking the time to search for it online. With our new online tool, PoisonHelp.org, and our trusted national Poison Help hotline, the public has more resources than ever before to quickly and accurately respond to a poisoning.

Free, confidential “poison centers” can be easily accessed two ways: