[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 34 (Thursday, March 23, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E403-E404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL POISON PREVENTION WEEK

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                        HON. THOMAS G. TANCREDO

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 23, 2000

  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, today marks the beginning of National 
Poison Prevention Week, an event each and every parent ought to mark in 
big, bold letters on their calendar. Ever since 1962, we've set aside 
one week each year to raise awareness about accidental poisonings and 
how to prevent them. But we also know poison prevention is a round-the-
clock, day-in, day-out concern. Between two and four million poisonings 
occur each year, sending thousands to the hospital. Most accidental 
poisonings occur in the home, and more than half of the victims each 
year are children. It is critical we all learn how to prevent children 
from accidentally gaining access to these products.
  The theme of this year's poison prevention campaign is ``Children Act 
Fast. So Do Poisons.'' Poisonings can occur in the blink of an eye, 
when parents or caregivers are briefly distracted by the telephone or 
doorbell, leaving curious children alone for a split second. Because 
poisons act quickly, quick action is needed to save the child's life. 
Often, the first and best response is to call the nearest Poison 
Control Center or local emergency personnel. Time after time they are 
quickly able to determine what the child has swallowed and what's the 
best remedy.
  How do they do it? How do they do it so fast? And most miraculously, 
how do they do it while a distraught parent waits and prays on the 
phone? Do these heroes have encyclopedic memories? No, but they have 
the next best thing. They have access to a comprehensive electronic 
database called POISINDEX which identifies and provides 
ingredient information with 1.2 million entries for commercial, 
pharmaceutical and biological substances. It also provides treatment 
protocols--or antidotes--for poisons. Every day, emergency teams are 
tapping into POISINDEX to get answers while a life hangs in 
the balance.
  I am proud to have MICROMEDEX and their 500 employees which provide 
such important products in my district. It is especially appropriate we 
recognize the value of this under-appreciated database as Congress 
prepares to take steps to prevent database piracy. MICROMEDEX, of 
Englewood, Colorado and the producer of POISINDEX, has grave 
concerns that unless we close a gap in the law its work could be 
stolen, an act of piracy that could endanger the safety of many people.
  Some might argue that the more widely we distribute information about 
poisons and their antidotes, the better. Although this notion is well 
intended, it is also misguided and could have serious consequences. 
Scientific knowledge is constantly moving forward, and as a result, 
medical information can rapidly go out-of-date. The POISINDEX 
team of 125 industry expert editors is dedicated--as a business and as 
corporate citizens--to providing unbiased information of unsurpassed 
breadth and depth. For 25 years they have invested a lot of time, money 
and effort doing precisely that. The problem is, a commitment to the 
integrity of the information is not necessarily shared by people who 
would pirate the contents of POISINDEX and distribute or sell 
them on the Internet or elsewhere. This is the type of ``sweat of the 
brow'' databases that Congress needs to prevent from being pi rated.
  If POISINDEX can be copied and distributed by pirates, it 
raises a truly frightening specter: the emergency team searching 
frantically for information, only to find it is incomplete, out-of-date 
or inaccurate. Imagine yourself as the parent in that nightmare.
  Legislation pending before the House, H.R. 354, of which I am a 
cosponsor, will prevent database piracy and ensure that 
POISINDEX will continue to help save lives. By preventing 
piracy, H.R. 354 maintains the incentives database publishers need to 
stay in business. It also encourages competition within this growing 
industry, which will lead to the creation of more high quality 
products.
  Yes, POISINDEX is an extreme example with potentially 
extreme consequences. But even in less dire cases, the principle is the 
same. Unless we do something about database piracy, we will undermine 
the commitment of producers to build and maintain the integrity and 
accuracy of the databases we depend on every day.
  We can all be grateful to MICROMEDEX for creating and maintaining 
such a vital product, and for showing how accurate information can 
literally save lives. It is the most graphic example I can imagine of 
how poison prevention and database protection go hand-in-hand.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this year's National 
Poison Prevention

[[Page E404]]

Week and timely action on H.R. 354. We must prevent database piracy and 
maintain the integrity of databases that are critical to us all. We owe 
that to every child and every parent who picks up that phone in their 
moment of distress.

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