[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 35 (Thursday, March 24, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 24, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    NATIONAL POISON PREVENTION WEEK

  (Mr. TOWNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the President has designated this week as 
National Poison Prevention Week. I would like to applaud him for that, 
and his strong leadership.
  Over 1 million children under age 6 were accidentally poisoned last 
year. Fortunately, all but 30 of those children survived. Most of them 
were treated safely at home with the help of a poison control center. 
Poison control centers save lives and save money, for every $1 spent on 
poison centers saves $7.75 in unnecessary visits to emergency rooms 
over this Nation.
  In a misguided attempt to save money, hospitals and State and local 
governments are closing poison control centers around the country. 
Closing poison control centers merely drives up the costs of health 
care, and needless to say, it places lives of millions of children at 
risk.
  Shortly I will introduce legislation that will guarantee access to 
quality poison control service for all Americans. Closing poison 
control centers is health care retreat, not health care reform. We need 
to move forward, not backwards, so we need to keep the poison control 
centers open, because they are cost-saving and they also save lives.

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