Hospital emergency cases of poisonings and other injuries caused by ingestion.

Abstract

M ODERN TECHNOLOGY and human delvi sire are creating a host of products made of new materials or designs, and an innumerable variety of drugs and other substances are being produced and marketed every year. Many such products, particularly drugs and common household items, are subject to voluntary or accidental abuse among certain age groups in all classes of our society. To help control potentially hazardous products and protect consumers from unreasonable risk of injuries, Congress created the National Commission on Product Safety in 1967. The commission has stated that except for annual accident reports from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, the supply of adequate epidemiologic data needed for both consumer education and manufacturer orientation is limited. With the recommendation of the commission, efforts have been made by the U.S. Government to generate some of the much-needed information.