Even though there is only one number to call to reach a poison center, there are 61 Poison Centers across the country handling these calls. On this page, we highlight a local poison center’s efforts to increase access to poison center services, develop innovative partnerships, or just get the word out about preventing poisoning in their community. This page will be updated periodically to spotlight other poison centers, so be sure to check back occasionally to see if a new program is being showcased.


The West Texas Regional Poison Center at Thomason Hospital (WTRPC) is America's first 24-hour bilingual, bicultural regional poison center certified by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC). Located in El Paso, TX, it is the only U.S. poison center located directly on the U.S.-Mexico border. WTRPC’s bilingual staff is uniquely qualified to provide expert poison information in English and Spanish to the community including families, educators, and health care providers. The designated service region of West Texas is made up of largely rural communities where immediate access to healthcare facilities and health providers is limited. WTRPC’s border service region covers 36 counties with 1.4 million inhabitants. This is almost 24 percent of the entire landmass of Texas, yet only 7 percent of the State's population, with 60 percent Spanish-speaking.

The center continues to be a pacesetter through facilitating efforts with Mexican healthcare professionals, participating directly in the development of a bi-national emergency response plans, and via its toxicology conference "Toxicology Has No Borders" where experts from both the U.S. and Mexico convene to address the latest diagnostic and management information for toxic exposures. The center also supports bi-national border health through development of activities such as the “TOX BOX”; a touch screen kiosk with learning modules and interactive games aimed at teaching children about poison prevention. The “TOX BOX” has been at the El Paso Insights Science Museum, an interactive children’s museum, for over 3 years and reaches thousands of children every year.

In March 2008, WTPRC hosted its 14th Annual Poison Jungle Safari as part of the National Poison Prevention Week 2008. This family-friendly bilingual educational event is held annually at the El Paso Zoo with almost 4,000 participants. Poison prevention stations are set up throughout the zoo with each station focusing on a specific category of poisons (Medications, Plants, Bites and Stings, Illegal Drugs, Household Products, Environmental Hazards, and Lead).

View Photos From This Event

The California Poison Control System (CPCS) won the 2007 International Award of Excellence (IN-AWE) from the Medical Marketing Association and the Coalition for Healthcare Communicators for its outstanding consumer marketing campaign, “Don’t Guess. Be Sure” The In-Awe Award is the most prestigious award for marketing and communications in the area of health care. The “Don’t Guess. Be Sure” poison prevention campaign was funded through a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.