[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 50 (Wednesday, April 29, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3796-S3797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         POISON CONTROL CENTERS

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today in support of S. 
1862, the ``Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act.'' I 
believe this legislation is crucial to our effort to protect Americans, 
and American children in particular, from the tragic effects of 
accidental poisoning, and I commend my colleague, Senator DeWine, for 
his leadership on this issue.
  Mr. President, more than 2 million times a year, poison control 
centers in the United States receive a report of a poisoning. On 
average that's almost 5,500 every day, over 225 every hour, and about 4 
calls each and every minute. More than 90 percent of these poisonings 
happen in homes in Michigan and around the country, and over

[[Page S3797]]

half of the poisoning victims are children under the age of 6.
  The conveniences most of us take for granted can be dangerous for our 
children. The household cleaner we use to keep our counters and floors 
clean, the fertilizer that keeps our lawns green, the products we use 
to keep our yards and homes free of vermin, all can bring tragedy if 
they fall into the hands of an innocent child.
  People in my own state Michigan are lucky to have a regional poison 
control center conveniently located in Grand Rapids. There clearly is a 
need for this office, which handles approximately 50,000 calls a year 
and has taken over 800,000 calls since opening its doors in 1977. Like 
other poison control centers, the one in Grand Rapids deals mostly with 
accidents involving children under age 6.
  As the parents of three children, all of them under age 6, my wife 
Jane and I have become deeply disturbed about these sky-high poisoning 
statistics. Because of this concern, we have gotten involved in an 
effort to strengthen existing and future poison control centers and to 
set up a 1-800 toll-free hotline. We also want to help establish a 
national media campaign to make people aware of the availability of 
poison control resources in their communities.
  That is why I am proud to be cosponsoring the ``Poison Control Center 
Enhancement and Awareness Act.'' This legislation would: establish a 
toll-free number to make sure that all Americans have access to poison 
control services; implement a nationwide media campaign to educate the 
public and health care providers about poison prevention and to 
advertise the new, nationwide toll-free number; and establish a grant 
program to help certified poison control centers prevent and provide 
treatment recommendations for poisonings. The total amount of grant 
funds available will be $25 million each year from 1999 to 2001. These 
funds can be used to supplement other Federal, State, local or private 
funds.
  Mr. President, too many of our children stumble across dangerous 
chemicals right in their own homes. Too many of them suffer often 
tragic consequences when they unknowingly ingest these poisons. I 
believe we should do everything we can to see to it that our children 
do not suffer in this way. At very small cost, the ``Poison Control 
Center Enhancement and Awareness Act'' will provide increased access to 
poison control centers and help people who are trying to prevent and 
treat poisoning.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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