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During 2008, the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center received 10,874 calls about possible poisonings of children under the age of 5.

A total of 10,874 calls were logged by the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center about possible poisonings of children under the age of 5 during 2008.

"Thankfully, none of the thousands of cases we handled resulted in a death," said Jude McNally, managing director of the center. The poison center serves approximately 2.5 million Arizonans living in all counties of the state except Maricopa and operates a free public health hotline.

"However, a study of child fatalities released this January by the Arizona Department of Health Services showed 24 deaths of children younger than 18 from poisonings in 2007. Accidental poisonings and unintentional overdoses are serious risks to both the very young and older children."

The Department of Health Services concludes in Arizona Child Fatality Review Program: Fifteenth Annual Report that 100 percent of the state's poisoning deaths in children under 18 in the year 2007 were preventable.

"These Arizona statistics show how very important it is for parents of children of all ages to be really vigilant," McNally said. "With small children, most of their exposures are accidental and involve common items such as cleaning products, deodorants, soaps, perfumes, nail polish or aspirin. In older youngsters, more often the danger is from misuse of alcohol, inhalants or prescription medications."

March 15-21 is National Poison Prevention Week, designated annually since 1961 by the U.S. Congress to focus national attention on the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them.

"It's a tragedy that 24 kids under 18 died from preventable poisonings in one year in our state," McNally said.

The Arizona report on child fatalities found:

• 83 percent of 2007 deaths in children from poisonings were accidental.
• 29 percent were listed as unintentional overdoses.
• 50 percent were acute intoxications.
• 50 percent were due to prescription medications, with opiate painkillers identified most frequently.

Child deaths involving substance use increased 41 percent between 2006 and 2007 (from 140 to 198). Consequently, the report recommends increased education for parents regarding the safe storage and disposal of prescription medications.

Community education has long been part of the missions of both the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center and SafeKids Tucson, a network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children 14 and under. Spearheaded by Tucson Medical Center, the local chapter is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of more than 450 coalitions in 16 countries bringing together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families.

In 2007 and 2008, the education arm of the poison center distributed 158,000 pieces of poison prevention educational materials to Arizonans and reached more than 3,000 people in training sessions.

Tips to Parents for Preventing Unintentional Overdoses

• Discard expired medication and medicines you are no longer using. Don't keep painkillers prescribed for a short-term condition on hand "just in case."
• Never give your medication to someone else. Never take someone else's medication.
• Never mix more than one kind of medicine in a container. Keep medicines in their original containers.
• Store medications in areas out of the reach of children, including adolescents, in locked cabinets.
• Go to www.pharmacy.arizona.edu/outreach/poison and see "Safe at Home" for more tips.

Fast Facts About Poisoning and Poison Centers

• Every 8 seconds in the U.S., someone calls a poison center. There are 61 centers in this country.
• A poison exposure occurs when a person or animal swallows, breathes, touches or gets splashed in the eye with something that can cause sickness or death.
• Poisoning is second only to motor vehicle crashes as a cause of unintentional injury or death.
• About 90 percent of poisonings occur in the home.
• In 69 percent of unintentional overdoses, friends and relatives were the source of the drugs.
• In 2007, 2.5 million people nationwide were exposed to poisons.
• About 90 percent of the citizens who call a local poison center get the help they need over the phone without having to go to a doctor or hospital.
• Based on an Arizona survey, every call to the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center saves $152 in unnecessary visits to emergency rooms.

The Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center answers about 70,000 calls a year from citizens and health professionals throughout Arizona. Specially trained pharmacists provide expertise in poison exposures and answer questions about medication use. The Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center is funded through allocations by the Arizona Legislature to the Arizona Department of Health Services. During fiscal year 2009, its funding has been reduced by 20 percent from 2008.