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.
• In 2005, a total of 23,618 people in the United States died from unintentional poisoning.
• In 2006, 1,900 people a day—a total of 703,700— were seen in emergency departments every day after a poisoning incident.
• Unintentional poisoning deaths are on the rise. Poisoning death rates in the United States increased by 62.5% from 1999–2004.
• 95% of poisoning deaths are a result of drug poisoning – and more than half of them are due to prescription drugs.
• Poisoning is not just a childhood problem. It affects adolescents and adults in increasing numbers.
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 into your cell phone. In any emergency, dial 911.
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.
Web-based Resources
• Poisoning in the United States
Overview of poisoning in the United States, including occurrence, costs and risk factors.
• Poison prevention tips
Tips for keeping you, your family and your friends safe from poisonings.
• Medicine safety: Who's at risk and what you can do
Information on medication safety and how to properly take, monitor, and store medicines.
• Cold and cough medicines: Information for parents
Information on cough and cold medicines and children.
• Poisoning and methadone-related deaths
Overview of methadone-related poisoning deaths, including trends and state-specific data.
• National 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.
CDC Podcasts
• Protecting Yourself and Your Family Against Poisonings (2:59 mins)
Poisoning prevention tips for audiences of all ages.
• Unintentional Poisoning Deaths (6:12 mins)
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.
• Cough and Cold Medications for Children (English) (2:29 mins)
This podcast discusses the safety concerns of cough and cold medications and children.
• Cough and Cold Medications for Children (Spanish) (1:48 mins)
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.
*Links to non-federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the federal government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.