Ottawa – Each year in Canada, more than 1,500 lives are lost, and nearly 8,000 individuals find themselves hospitalized due to unintentional poisoning from various everyday items including medications and household cleaners. Today marks the start of National Poison Prevention Week, an important week dedicated to raising awareness about the widespread risks of poisonings across all age groups.
Aligned with this year’s theme, “Poison prevention: Empowering Canada for a safer tomorrow,” Health Canada is encouraging the public to learn about poison prevention and explore the available resources, including poison centres as hubs of essential information and the national POISON-X phone line.
Since its launch last year, Health Canada’s toll-free helpline, 1-844 POISON-X (or 1-800-463-5060 in Quebec), has successfully operated in collaboration with four Canadian poison centres. Serving as a centralized hub, this 24/7, accessible number facilitates the connection to poison centres nationwide, playing a pivotal role in saving lives and providing immediate medical advice for suspected poisonings. This helpline also alleviates stress on our healthcare system by reducing unnecessary visits to hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices.
Poison Centre services are instrumental in resolving many cases of unintentional poisonings within the confines of one’s home. Managing an impressive volume of more than 210,000 calls annually on average, poison centres are able to resolve more than 60% of inquiries and incidents over the phone. With Health Canada’s toll-free helpline, 1-844 POISON-X (or 1-800-463-5060 in Quebec), assistance is conveniently at your fingertips. An important objective of this service is to empower people in Canada with vital knowledge of available resources, equipping them to safeguard both themselves and their families. Save this number in your phone, and tell your friends, family and community about it – one day, it may save you right back. – Mark Holland, Health Minister