While a poisoning might seem like a rare crisis confined to crime dramas, staggering statistics from every corner of the globe—from 2.18 million calls to U.S. poison centers in a single year to an estimated 193,000 global unintentional deaths—reveal it to be a pervasive and urgent public health threat hiding in plain sight.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, U.S. poison centers received 2.18 million calls about human exposures to poisons
- Globally, an estimated 193,000 people died from unintentional poisoning in 2019
- In the EU, poisoning incidents accounted for 7.4% of all chemical incidents reported in 2020
- In 2021, poisoning caused 91,868 deaths worldwide
- U.S. saw 106,699 drug poisoning deaths in 2021
- Opioid overdoses killed 80,411 in the U.S. in 2021
- In the U.S., males accounted for 54% of poisoning deaths in 2021
- Children under 5 represent 50% of U.S. poisoning exposures
- Globally, 80% of poisoning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries
- In the U.S., analgesics were involved in 12% of exposures in 2022
- Globally, pesticides cause 20% of suicides by poisoning
- Opioids topped U.S. poisoning deaths at 75% in 2021
- U.S. poison control cost $1.2 billion in healthcare in 2021
- Global economic burden of poisoning $200 billion annually
- U.S. opioid poisonings cost $1 trillion 2015-2020
Poisoning is a global health crisis causing millions of illnesses and deaths annually.
Agents
- In the U.S., analgesics were involved in 12% of exposures in 2022
- Globally, pesticides cause 20% of suicides by poisoning
- Opioids topped U.S. poisoning deaths at 75% in 2021
- Household cleaners: 10% of child exposures worldwide
- In India, organophosphates in 62% of pesticide poisonings
- UK: Alcohol involved in 25% of poisoning deaths
- Cosmetics and personal care: 8% of U.S. exposures
- Carbon monoxide: 400 U.S. deaths yearly
- In Australia, pharmaceuticals 50% of calls
- Plants and mushrooms: 5% global cases
- Canada: Stimulants in 30% poisoning deaths
- Brazil: Cleaning products 15% of notifications
- China: Rodenticides 10% rural poisonings
- South Africa: Paracetamol top pharmaceutical
- Russia: Alcohol 40% of acute poisonings
- Mexico: Methanol 20% of toxic alcohol deaths
- Japan: Agricultural chemicals 25% suicides
- Germany: Sedatives 15% exposures
- France: Bites/stings 12% calls
Agents Interpretation
The grim global menu of poison reveals a sobering truth: from the domestic cabinets where cleaning agents lure curious children to the desperate fields where pesticides end lives, our world is perilously seasoned with substances that heal, clean, and harm in tragically equal measure.
Demographics
- In the U.S., males accounted for 54% of poisoning deaths in 2021
- Children under 5 represent 50% of U.S. poisoning exposures
- Globally, 80% of poisoning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries
- In the U.S., adults 25-44 had highest poisoning death rate at 36.7 per 100,000 in 2021
- Females made up 45% of U.S. poisoning calls in 2022
- In India, 60% of pesticide poisonings affected males aged 20-40
- UK drug poisonings: 70% male victims in 2021
- Globally, children under 14 comprise 30% of poisoning cases
- U.S. elderly over 65: 12% of poisoning exposures but 20% fatalities
- In Australia, Indigenous populations had 3x higher poisoning hospitalization rates
- Canada: 55% of poisoning deaths in males 25-44
- Brazil: 65% of acute poisonings in females under 20
- China: Rural males 70% of pesticide deaths
- South Africa: Children under 10: 40% of poisonings
- Russia: 50% poisoning deaths in working-age adults
- Mexico: Urban areas 60% of cases, rural 40%
- Japan: Elderly 65+ 35% of accidental poisonings
- Germany: Immigrants 20% higher risk
- France: Males 75% of occupational poisonings
- Italy: Southern regions 25% higher incidence
Demographics Interpretation
While the grim global ledger of poisoning reveals a universal vulnerability—spiking for young adults in wealthier nations and hitting hardest the poor worldwide—it also lays bare a deeply human map of risk, painting dangers shaped by gender, labor, age, geography, and the stark inequality of access to safety.
Healthcare Impact
- U.S. poison control cost $1.2 billion in healthcare in 2021
- Global economic burden of poisoning $200 billion annually
- U.S. opioid poisonings cost $1 trillion 2015-2020
- Child poisoning ER visits cost $500 million yearly in U.S.
- India pesticide poisonings burden $1.5 billion GDP loss
- UK NHS spends £500 million on poisoning treatments yearly
- Australia poisoning hospitalizations $300 million cost
- Canada opioid response $10 billion over 5 years
- Brazil SINAN system processes 100,000 cases costing millions
- China poisoning treatments exceed 10 million hospital days
- South Africa poison unit handles 20,000 cases at R50 million cost
- Russia healthcare expenditure on poisonings 2% of total
- Mexico intoxication care $500 million USD equivalent
- Japan poison centers funded at 5 billion yen yearly
- Germany BfR invests €20 million in prevention
- France CAPTV network €15 million budget
- Italy ISS poisoning surveillance €10 million
- Sweden Folkhälsomyndigheten allocates SEK 100 million
Healthcare Impact Interpretation
The sheer, staggering global cost of poisoning reveals a sobering truth: our collective carelessness is a luxury we can no longer afford, and the bill, from children's wards to national economies, has come due.
Incidence
- In 2022, U.S. poison centers received 2.18 million calls about human exposures to poisons
- Globally, an estimated 193,000 people died from unintentional poisoning in 2019
- In the EU, poisoning incidents accounted for 7.4% of all chemical incidents reported in 2020
- Australia reported 47,000 poisoning cases to poisons information centres in 2021
- In India, over 50,000 poisoning cases were admitted to hospitals annually as of 2018
- Canada saw 14,782 poisoning-related hospitalizations in 2019-2020
- UK poisonings via National Poisons Information Service handled 52,000 queries in 2021
- Brazil reported 92,000 poisoning notifications in 2020
- In South Africa, 12% of trauma admissions in 2019 were due to poisoning
- China estimated 1.2 million acute poisoning cases yearly in 2020
- Mexico had 25,000 poisoning deaths from 2010-2020
- Japan poison control centers managed 35,000 cases in 2021
- In 2021, U.S. saw 1.8 million poisoning exposures in children under 6
- Russia reported 120,000 poisoning cases in 2019
- Germany had 45,000 poisoning consultations in 2020
- France poison control centers received 78,000 calls in 2021
- In 2020, global poisoning incidence rate was 24.6 per 100,000
- Italy reported 22,000 acute poisonings in 2019
- Sweden saw 8,500 poisoning cases in 2021
- In 2022, U.S. poison centers noted a 10% increase in exposures
Incidence Interpretation
The sheer volume of global poisonings reveals a sobering truth: that despite our modern advances, we remain remarkably adept at accidentally turning our daily environment into a hazard, with millions of calls and hospital visits serving as a stark annual reminder to read the label, watch the toddler, and maybe lock the cabinet.
Mortality
- In 2021, poisoning caused 91,868 deaths worldwide
- U.S. saw 106,699 drug poisoning deaths in 2021
- Opioid overdoses killed 80,411 in the U.S. in 2021
- Global age-standardized poisoning death rate was 10.6 per 100,000 in 2019
- In 2020, 22,290 Americans died from non-opioid poisonings
- UK had 5,016 drug poisoning deaths in 2021
- Australia recorded 2,200 poisoning deaths in 2021
- India saw 11,000 pesticide poisoning deaths annually circa 2019
- Canada reported 7,328 apparent poisoning deaths in 2021
- Brazil had 13,000 poisoning deaths in 2020
- In China, 40,000 died from poisoning in 2018
- South Africa recorded 3,500 poisoning deaths in 2019
- Russia saw 15,000 poisoning deaths in 2020
- Mexico had 12,000 poisoning-related deaths in 2021
- Japan reported 3,200 poisoning suicides in 2020
- Germany had 1,800 acute poisoning deaths in 2019
- France saw 900 poisoning deaths excluding suicides in 2020
- Global child poisoning mortality was 45,000 in 2019
- Italy recorded 1,200 poisoning deaths in 2021
Mortality Interpretation
The grim arithmetic of these statistics reveals that whether by accident or intent, the modern world has concocted a vast and varied menu of ways for us to be poisoned, with the United States specializing tragically in the opioid course.
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