(Image Credit: Curtis Goodrum / CFJC Today)

By Curtis Goodrum

POISON CONTROL

BC Drug and Poison Information Centre calls for more awareness around poisonings

Mar 17, 2026 | 6:01 AM

KAMLOOPS – This week is National Poison Prevention Week, and the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre (DPIC) is using this month to call attention to statistics around poisoning.

The most called about poisonings are those under the age of five. The largest cause is due to medications, particularly those like Tylenol.

“In fact, 30 per cent of our calls are kids five and under, which is a huge percentage for a small group of people. There are a couple of things that can be done. I think that the most important thing is the safe storage of medications,” Jesse Godwin, Associate Medical Lead at BC DPIC says. 

DPIC hopes that this week helps bring poison prevention to the front of mind for those with younger families, which can help avoid a trip to the hospital.

“Our poison center alone gets 28,000 cases a year, right? Those are just the people who know about us. Exposures are very common, and that represents a lot of morbidity and strain on the health care system, as well as on individuals,” Godwin says. 

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More information can be found on the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre website.