California is dealing with such a major budget crisis that it seems no program is safe from the chopping block. One such program is poison control, which may soon be eliminated entirely in California. They would be the only state without such a service, but some worry that other states would follow California’s lead and cut out their own poison control services amid economic crises. Washington, Oregon, Tennessee and Michigan have all begun efforts to at least downsize their poison control centers.
People generally call into poison control with problems related to taking wrong medications, food poisonings, and ingesting potentially harmful substances. Beyond those immediate concerns, there is another important aspect to the service, and that is reporting. Data from poison control are reported to the CDC, which it then uses to find trends and track down sources of contaminated products or foodborne illnesses.
National surveillance will suffer when California ceases its poison control program. Additionally, one group estimates that California will face $80 million in extra costs associated with people using ERs more often in cases of suspected poisonings. Also, 911 centers will probably be placed under heavier burden. Closing poison control programs will have a greater effect than the obvious immediate outcomes, and states should weigh them carefully before cutting their funding.
Read more from the AP and from this Washington news site.
