Poisoning is a far more serious health problem in the U.S. than has generallybeen recognized. It is estimated that more than 4 million poisoning episodesoccur annually, with approximately 300,000 cases leading to hospitalization.The field of poison prevention provides some of the most celebrated examplesof successful public health interventions, yet surprisingly the currentpoison control "system" is little more than a loose network of poison controlcenters, poorly integrated into the larger spheres of public health. Toincrease their effectiveness, efforts to reduce poisoning need to be linked toa national agenda for public health promotion and injury prevention.

Forging a Poison Prevention and Control System recommends a future poisoncontrol system with a strong public health infrastructure, a national systemof regional poison control centers, federal funding to support core poisoncontrol activities, and a national poison information system to trackmajor poisoning epidemics and possible acts of bioterrorism. This frameworkprovides a complete "system" that could offer the best poison preventionand patient care services to meet the needs of the nation in the21st century.