News

As pet owners, we want to keep our pets happy and healthy while they explore the outdoors and live alongside us in our homes. There is a wide range of indoor and outdoor plants that pets may come in contact with in their lifetime. These plants range in toxicity; some are low in toxicity, while […]

The National Poisons Information Centre at Beaumont Hospital is delighted to have a Show Garden entitled ‘The Know, Act, Prevent Garden’ at the 2023 Bord Bia Bloom festival in the Phoenix Park from 1st-5th June.  The aim of the garden is to raise awareness of the importance of poison prevention in the home and garden, […]

Plants that are considered potentially toxic (poisonous) to humans may cause substantial symptoms, although these are not seen in most cases of accidental ingestion. The risks of developing more moderate-to-severe symptoms increase when larger amounts are chewed or swallowed. For some plants, children and adults will need to be monitored in a hospital emergency department […]

The National Poisons Information Centre at Beaumont Hospital has developed a helpful guide to low toxicity plants for child friendly gardens and play spaces. Plants with a low toxicity are generally safe. Sometimes, if a child eats more than a few of these plants this may cause mild symptoms like a sore tummy, and vomiting […]

Key messages Prevention is key There are things parents, family members and Santa Claus himself can do to help make this special time of year a safe one. Parents and guardians should watch out for button and cylindrical batteries in toys, decorations and gadgets. Serious injury can occur if a child swallows a battery or […]

On 1 January 2024 Annex VIII to the CLP Regulation will enter into force for industrial use mixtures that are classified as hazardous on the basis of their health or physical effects.  From that date, if you place such a mixture on the market in Ireland, you must notify it to the National Poisons Information Centre […]

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey of antidote availability in Irish hospitals with emergency departments. The survey is now closed. The National Poisons Information Centre (NPIC) is currently conducting a survey of antidote availability in Irish hospitals with emergency departments. The pharmacy department of each hospital was contacted in February 2022 and provided […]

ECHA held a webinar on “Poison centre notifications: explaining new changes and functionalities” on 24th November 2021. This webinar details all the latest changes and improvements following the October 2021 release of the poison centre notification (PCN) format and IT solution. It provides more information on the group submission process, as well as covering the […]

Teach children to store alcohol handgel out of sight