News Release

May 31, 2007

Contact: Carolyn Pennington, 860-679-4864
e-mail: cpennington@uchc.edu

Connecticut Poison Control Center Celebrates Its 50th Year

FARMINGTON, CONN. – The Connecticut Poison Control Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center is marking its 50th year providing lifesaving treatment advice for the people of Connecticut and their health care providers on Thursday, June 7 at 2 p.m. on the first floor of the Medical Arts and Research Building (MARB) at the UConn Health Center in Farmington.

The Connecticut Poison Control Center (CPCC) is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by nurses, pharmacists, physicians and other medical professionals. They receive around 100 calls a day involving exposures to household products, chemicals, over-the-counter and prescription drugs.

“During the past 50 years we have helped treat over one million poison victims,” says Amy Hanoian Fontana, the Poison Center’s community education specialist. “But we also provide a valuable service of educating the public about hazardous products aimed at preventing poisonings from occurring in the first place.”

The Connecticut Poison Control Center is the first state-mandated poison center in the country. It was established under legislation passed by the General Assembly in 1957. Initially it was part of the state department of health and was transferred in 1976 to the UConn Health Center. During the 1980’s, the role of the CPCC increased as more people became concerned about exposure to chemicals in the environment and the workplace. More recently, the CPCC has been working closely with the Connecticut Department of Public Health in promoting terrorism readiness and enhancing response to public health emergencies.

CPCC responsibilities and mission:

• Offering free and confidential treatment advice 24 hours a day.
• Educating the public and health care providers about poison awareness and prevention and developing educational programs for children and adults.
• Acting as sentinels for toxic terrorism to defend homeland security.

The CPCC is one of 61 centers in the United States that are certified by the American Association of Poison Control Centers and participates in a national 24 hour hotline. If you suspect a poisoning, don’t wait to see what happens, call 1-800-222-1222.

Visit Connecticut Poison Control Center’s website at http://poisoncontrol.uchc.edu/ for emergency poison information, tips on how you can poison-proof your home, and more.

The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital, a Solucient Top 100 Hospital® 2006. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. To learn more about the UConn Health Center, visit our website at www.uchc.edu.

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