NYC Poison Control Center

(212) POISONS (764-7667) or 1-800-222-1222

Established in 1955, the New York City Poison Control Center is designated as a Regional Poison Center by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Serving the 8 million residents of Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, the NYC Poison Control Center receives over 70,000 calls annually. Calls originate from homes, emergency departments, work sites and wherever exposure to poisonous substances may have occurred. Approximately 90% of these exposures occur in the home, and more than half of these calls to poison centers involve children under the age of five.

The poison control center is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by registered pharmacists and nurses certified in poison information. Access to the Language Line provides translation services in more than 150 languages, and services are available for the hearing impaired utilizing telecommunications devices for the deaf at (TDD) 212-689-9014.

The New York City Poison Control Center also produces educational materials including brochures, telephone stickers, and videos which are available free of charge. The Poison Control Center runs workshops available for children, caregivers/parents, older adults, and community-based organizations. Professional education conferences are also available for health care professionals.

All services are confidential and free of charge to the public.

Educational Materials

• • Order Form & List of Available Materials and Publications (PDF)
• • Health Education Literacy Program Brochures [ English (pdf), Spanish (pdf), Russian (pdf), Chinese (pdf), Haitian Creole (pdf) ]

Recent Publications

• • City Health Information (CHI): Lead Poisoning: Prevention, Identification, and Management