[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 23, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E532-E533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    THE POISON CONTROL CENTER ENHANCEMENT AND AWARENESS ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. FRED UPTON

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 23, 1999

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleague Rep. Ed 
Towns in introducing the ``Poison Control Center Enhancement and 
Awareness Act.'' I am also pleased

[[Page E533]]

to note that Rep. Bilirakis, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health 
and the Environment, which has jurisdiction, is an original cosponsor 
of this bipartisan bill.
  Poison control centers provide vital, very cost-effective services to 
the American public. Each year, more than 2 million poisonings are 
reported to poison control centers throughout the United States. More 
than 90 percent of these poisonings occur in the home, and over 50 
percent of poisoning victims are children under the age of 6. For every 
dollar spent on poison control center services, seven dollars in 
medical costs are saved.
  In spite of their obvious value, poison control centers are in 
jeopardy. Historically, these centers were typically funded by the 
private and public sector hospitals where they were located. The 
transition to managed care, however, has resulted in a gradual erosion 
of this funding. As this funding source has been drying up, poison 
control centers have only partially been able to replace this support 
by cobbling together state, local, and private funding sources. The 
financial squeeze has forced many centers to curtail their poison 
prevention advisory services and their information and emergency 
activities, and to reduce the number of nurses, pharmacists, and 
physicians answering the emergency telephones. Currently, there are 73 
centers. In 1978, there were 661.
  The ``Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act'' will 
provide up to $28 million per year over the next five years to provide 
a stable source of funding for these centers, establish a national 
toll-free poison control hotline, and improve public education on 
poisoning prevention and poison center services. The legislation is 
designed to ensure that these funds supplement--not supplant--other 
funding that the centers may be receiving and provides the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services with the authority to impose a matching 
requirement. Further, to receive federal funding, a center will have to 
be certified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services or an 
organization expert in the field of poison control designated by the 
Secretary.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this very cost-effective 
investment in the safety and health of the American public, especially 
our children. If you would like further information or would like to 
cosponsor this legislation, please let me know or call Jane Williams of 
my staff at 5-3761.

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