Poisoning is a far more serious health problem in the U.S. than has generally been recognized. It is estimated that more than 4 million poisoning episodes occur annually, with approximately 300,000 cases leading to hospitalization. The field of poison prevention provides some of the most celebrated examples of successful public health interventions, yet surprisingly the current poison control "system" is little more than a loose network of poison control centers, poorly integrated into the larger spheres of public health. To increase their effectiveness, efforts to reduce poisoning need to be linked to a national agenda for public health promotion and injury prevention. Forging a Poison Prevention and Control System recommends a future poison control system with a strong public health infrastructure, a national system of regional poison control centers, federal funding to support core poison control activities, and a national poison information system to track major poisoning epidemics and possible acts of bioterrorism. This framework provides a complete "system" that could offer the best poison prevention and patient care services to meet the needs of the nation in the 21st century.

"Public Health in Pharmacy Practice: A Casebook is a collaboration of over thirty-five experts in public health pharmacy. The twenty-one chapters cover a broad array of topics relevant to pharmacy applications of public health: cross-cultural care, health literacy and disparities, infectious disease, health promotion and disease prevention, medication safety, women's and rural health and more. Each chapter contains learning objectives and an introduction to the topic, followed by a case and questions. The chapter closes with commentary from the authors and patient-oriented considerations for the topic at hand"--Publisher's description

- 20 new chapters have been added - New topics include a list of toxicants affecting body systems, management of toxins in pregnancy, diagnostic toxicology, bacterial toxins, and cosmetic/toilet articles - Snake-bite injuries are treated in two separate, expanded chapters: Pit Vipers and Coral Snakes - Section on pharmaceuticals includes bromides, anticonvulsants, tricycle antidepressants, monoamine oxidize inhibitors, B-adrenergic toxicities, and vitamins A and D - Additional specific toxicants are covered, including Amitraz, hydramethylon, ethanol, mercury, toad toxins, poisonous frogs, salamanders, newts and venomous arthropods•Additional specific toxicants are covered, including Amitraz, hydramethylon, ethanol, mercury, toad toxins, poisonous frogs, salamanders, newts and venomous arthropods.

A New York Times Notable Book The inspiration for PBS's AMERICAN EXPERIENCE film The Poison Squad. From Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times-bestselling author Deborah Blum, the dramatic true story of how food was made safe in the United States and the heroes, led by the inimitable Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, who fought for change By the end of nineteenth century, food was dangerous. Lethal, even. "Milk" might contain formaldehyde, most often used to embalm corpses. Decaying meat was preserved with both salicylic acid, a pharmaceutical chemical, and borax, a compound first identified as a cleaning product. This was not by accident; food manufacturers had rushed to embrace the rise of industrial chemistry, and were knowingly selling harmful products. Unchecked by government regulation, basic safety, or even labelling requirements, they put profit before the health of their customers. By some estimates, in New York City alone, thousands of children were killed by "embalmed milk" every year. Citizens--activists, journalists, scientists, and women's groups--began agitating for change. But even as protective measures were enacted in Europe, American corporations blocked even modest regulations. Then, in 1883, Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, a chemistry professor from Purdue University, was named chief chemist of the agriculture department, and the agency began methodically investigating food and drink fraud, even conducting shocking human tests on groups of young men who came to be known as, "The Poison Squad." Over the next thirty years, a titanic struggle took place, with the courageous and fascinating Dr. Wiley campaigning indefatigably for food safety and consumer protection. Together with a gallant cast, including the muckraking reporter Upton Sinclair, whose fiction revealed the horrific truth about the Chicago stockyards; Fannie Farmer, then the most famous cookbook author in the country; and Henry J. Heinz, one of the few food producers who actively advocated for pure food, Dr. Wiley changed history. When the landmark 1906 Food and Drug Act was finally passed, it was known across the land, as "Dr. Wiley's Law." Blum brings to life this timeless and hugely satisfying "David and Goliath" tale with righteous verve and style, driving home the moral imperative of confronting corporate greed and government corruption with a bracing clarity, which speaks resoundingly to the enormous social and political challenges we face today.

History of Modern Clinical Toxicology describes the extraordinary advances in the practice of clinical toxicology within the past 70 years and brings together stories of the people – the champions of clinical toxicology - who contributed to these advances, discovered new therapies and antidotes, and made change happen. This book lays out the poison control system they built and the fascinating story of how they created a new and evolving medical specialty. With the participation of renowned international experts as authors, the book showcases the development of poison control centers around the world and the growth of the professional societies that represent and support them today. This book also tells the stories of the modern-day toxic disasters and recent toxic exposures that gained worldwide attention and notoriety. It outlines the public health responses to such calamities which have led to improvements in our understanding of the science and changes in public health policies and regulations to forestall future such events. Finally, the book covers key policies and agencies affecting poison control centers, addresses the challenges facing clinical toxicologists of today, and predicts advances and future innovations in the field. History of Modern Clinical Toxicology is a unique resource that provides the historical and international perspective that will help students, practitioners, scientists, and health policy makers put current issues and methods in perspective. It will help them understand how infrastructure and processes in clinical toxicology have evolved and why poison control systems are configured as they are. - Offers descriptions of the key regulatory advances affecting clinical toxicology - Provides synopses of modern-day poisoning disasters - Outlines the development of modern antidotes and future directions in clinical toxicology - Describes the origins and development of the U.S. poison control system - Includes the origins and features of professional clinical toxicology societies from around the world - Includes descriptions of the history of clinical toxicology and poison control in more than 35 countries

Millions of Americans use e-cigarettes. Despite their popularity, little is known about their health effects. Some suggest that e-cigarettes likely confer lower risk compared to combustible tobacco cigarettes, because they do not expose users to toxicants produced through combustion. Proponents of e-cigarette use also tout the potential benefits of e-cigarettes as devices that could help combustible tobacco cigarette smokers to quit and thereby reduce tobacco-related health risks. Others are concerned about the exposure to potentially toxic substances contained in e-cigarette emissions, especially in individuals who have never used tobacco products such as youth and young adults. Given their relatively recent introduction, there has been little time for a scientific body of evidence to develop on the health effects of e-cigarettes. Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes reviews and critically assesses the state of the emerging evidence about e-cigarettes and health. This report makes recommendations for the improvement of this research and highlights gaps that are a priority for future research.