Alarming!

Household poisoning on the rise:

by Carol Aloysius

Reports of poisoning from commonly used household agents have shown an alarming increase in the past year. Distress calls to the Poisons Unit of the National Hospital, Colombo have now reached an unprecedented high, Head, Toxicology, National Poisons Unit, Dr Waruna Gunathilake told the Sunday Observer.

He said last year his unit had received 377 inquires regarding household poisoning, compared to 62 calls in 2013. " This is a huge increase, and reflects a dangerous growing trend in household poisonings.

This year we have been receiving between 4-5 or more calls every day from distressed householders. We have alerted the Director General Health Services about this matter. " Mosquito coils ranked first among the poisoning agents, followed by cleaning detergents, and rat poisons. Last year the Poisons Unit had received nearly 70 inquires on mosquito coil poisoning followed by toilet cleaners ( 42 distress calls) and rat poison ( 40.)

"Toddlers from 1-3 years and young persons from 20- 40 years are the highest at risk groups.

Parents and care givers are entirely to blame for children ingesting household poisons by neglecting to supervise children under their care .

Detergents can have very severe corrosive effect on the human digestive system, while rat poisoning can cause internal bleeding", he warned. Those in the 20-40 year age group had ingested these poisons deliberately, he added.. He said according to numerous complaints unregistered rat poisons were now flooding the market, thereby increasing health impacts if ingested. " He urged relevant authorities to step up market surveillance on such illegal rat poisons..