In 2005, 65 people died every day from unintentional poisoning- and the numbers of deaths has been increasing. Arm yourself with information that can reduce your- or a loved one’s- risk of unintentional overdose and possibly save a life.

What You Should Know

bulletIn 2005, a total of 23,618 people in the United States died from unintentional poisoning.
bulletIn 2006, 1,900 people a day—a total of 703,700— were seen in emergency departments every day after a poisoning incident.
bulletUnintentional poisoning deaths are on the rise. Poisoning death rates in the United States increased by 62.5% from 1999–2004.
bullet95% of poisoning deaths are a result of drug poisoning- and more than half of them are due to prescription drugs.
bulletPoisoning is not just a childhood problem. It affects adolescents and adults in increasing numbers. 

What You Can Do

Follow tips that can keep you and others safe from unintentional poisoning, including:

- Follow directions on labels when you give or take medicines. Some medicines cannot be taken safely with other medications or with alcohol.

- Keep medicines in their original bottles or containers.

- Never share or sell your prescription drugs.

- Keep any opioid pain medications, such as methadone, hydrocodone, and oxycodone, in a safe place only reachable by people who take or give them.

- Monitor the use of medicines prescribed for children and teenagers, such as medicines for attention deficit disorder, or ADD.

- Follow federal guidelines for disposal of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs. 

- Remember, you can reach the National Poison Control Centers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to report a poisoning incident and get help at 1-800-222-1222. Keep this number on all home phones and program in to your cell phone. In any emergency, dial 911.

Where You Can Learn More

Web-based Resources

bulletPoisoning in the United States
Overview of poisoning in the United States , including occurrence, costs and risk factors.
bulletPoison prevention tips
Tips for keeping you, your family and your friends safe from poisonings.
bulletMedicine safety: Who's at risk and what you can do
Information on medication safety and how to properly take, monitor, and store medicines.
bulletCold and cough medicines: Information for parents
Information on cough and cold medicines and children.
bulletPoisoning and methadone-related deaths
Overview of methadone-related poisoning deaths, including trends and state-specific data.
bulletNational Safety Month 2008
Monthly campaign materials, including safety tips on poisoning and other injury topics and posters and other materials for you to use to raise awareness and make a difference.

Podcasts

bulletProtecting yourself and your family against poisonings
Poisoning prevention tips for audiences of all ages.
bulletUnintentional poisoning deaths
Summary of a recent study on unintentional poisoning deaths, which indicated that poisoning death rates in the United States increased by 62.5% from 1999–2004.
bulletCough and Cold Medications for Children (English)
This podcast discusses the safety concerns of cough and cold medications and children.
bulletCough and Cold Medications for Children (Spanish)
Este podcast habla sobre las preocupaciones de salud relacionadas con el consumo de medicamentos para la tos y el resfriado en los niños, sin la supervisión de los padres.
bulletAll Unintentional Injury Podcasts