By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Last week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee unanimously passed bipartisan legislation (S.4351) to reauthorize the Poison Control Centers Network program. The legislation, introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA, a senior member and former Chair of the HELP Committee, and Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Mitt Romney (R-UR), will extend the program through 2029.
The network, which includes the Poison Control National Toll-Free hotline and 55 poison control centers nationwide, operates 24/7, providing critical support to millions of Americans. This includes a center in Seattle, WA.
“Whether people are talking about an exposure from cleaning supplies, or pesticides, or snake bites, or opioids—which poison centers have been on the front lines of responding to—the experts at our nation’s Poison Centers are always ready to help worried parents and patients and health care providers get the information and resources they need in an emergency,” said Murray.
“Our Poison Control Centers are a literal lifeline for families,” continued Murray. “They operate 24/7. And that’s a good thing because, on average, they receive an exposure case every 15 seconds. That is two calls since I just started speaking today. So, as I think any parent would tell you, that truly is invaluable.”
The PCC Network, funded by both public and private sources, responded to over 2 million human exposures in 2022.
“Poison Centers across the country play a critical role in keeping our families and kids safe,” said Tuberville. “I’m particularly proud of Alabama’s Poison Center at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. In addition to providing life-saving treatments, these centers do a great job helping families in crisis, mitigating the burden on emergency rooms, and tracking valuable data about the flow of illicit drugs across the country.”
Senator Romney emphasized the importance of federal support for poison control centers.
“Poison control centers play an important role in addressing opioid abuse, lead contamination, and food poisoning in our communities, and even on a national scale. Since its inception, the Utah Poison Control Center has supported more than two million poisoning crisis cases—the highest utilization per capita of any poison center in the nation,” he said. “This legislation will reauthorize federal funding for poison control centers to maintain critical services like the 24-hour hotline, as well as provide for grants and public outreach programs.”
Murray has consistently led the reauthorization of the PCC Network program since 2003, ensuring its operation and advocating for bipartisan improvements every five years, most recently in 2019.
“Supporting our Poison Control Centers Network has always been important to me because it’s a literal lifeline for tens of thousands of parents, patients, and health providers who turn to these vital resources for expert assistance in emergency situations,” Murray said. “It’s terrifying having to worry about a potentially harmful exposure, and I know it is a massive relief for parents and others that help is available 24/7. I’m proud to once again lead the reauthorization of this important program and will work to get it across the finish line so that our Poison Control network can continue to help millions of families.”
The Poison Control Centers have also highlighted fentanyl as a leading poison threat to children. According to the U.S. Poison Center, there has been a dramatic increase in cases of young children exposed to illicit fentanyl. In 2016, there were 10 cases reported in children under 6 years old. By 2020, that number had jumped to 120, and by 2023, it had risen to 539 cases—a 349% increase in three years and a 5,290% increase since 2016.
This alarming trend underscores the critical need for continued support and reauthorization of the Poison Control Centers Network.
“It is hard to overstate how terrifying it can be to think your kid may have been exposed to a dangerous poison—or what a relief it is to know there is somewhere you can turn to at any time to get help,” concluded Murray.
For more information, contact the Poison Control National Toll-Free hotline at 1-800-222-1222.