Unintentional Drug Poisoning: News from CDC's Injury Center

New Issue Brief from CDC: Unintentional Drug Poisoning in the United States

In recognition of Poison Prevention Week (March 14-20, 2010), CDC’s Injury Center is highlighting the growing issue of unintentional drug poisoning in the United States.

More than 26,000 deaths from unintentional drug poisoning occurred in the United States in 2006. Opioid pain medications (such as oxycodone and methadone) were involved in more than half of these deaths. Overall, the unintentional drug poisoning death rate has been rising in recent years and more than doubled between 1999 and 2006.

In response to this increase, CDC’s Injury Center has developed an issue brief titled Unintentional Drug Poisoning in the United States.
[http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Poisoning/brief.htm]

The brief summarizes the most recent information about deaths and emergency department visits resulting from drug overdoses. The following information is included:

. Overdose trends
. Drugs most commonly involved
. Geographic regions and populations most severely affected
. Recommendations on how health care providers, private insurance providers, and state and federal agencies can work to prevent unintentional drug overdoses

We invite you to use this brief to learn more about the issue and incorporate promising strategies into your poisoning prevention work. Please join us in spreading the word about this important new resource.

Learn More about this Public Health Threat

1.Poisoning in the United States — Overview of poisoning in the United States, including occurrence, costs and risk factors.
http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Poisoning/poisoning-factsheet.htm

2. Poison Prevention Tips — Suggestions to keep you, your family and your friends safe from poisonings.
http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Poisoning/preventiontips.htm

3. NCHS Data Brief: Increase in Fatal Poisonings Involving Opioid Analgesics in the United States, 1999-2006 — Summary of trends in fatal opioid analgesic-related poisonings from the years 1999-2006.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db22.htm

4. MMWR: Release of Issue Brief—Unintentional Drug Poisoning in the United States
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5910a5.htm

5.FDA Committed to Addressing Growing National Overdose Problem
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm204962.htm

Listen to Podcasts
Unintentional Poisoning Deaths (6:12 mins)
http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=4911

Summary of a study on unintentional poisoning deaths, which indicated that poisoning death rates in the United States increased by 62.5% from 1999–2004.

Protecting Yourself and Your Family Against Poisonings (2:59 mins)
http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=8476

Poisoning prevention tips for audiences of all ages.