Washington Poison Center

10/31/2025

🎃 Happy Halloween from all of us at Washington Poison Center! Have a fun, spooky, and -- most importantly, safe! -- night!

Check out our Halloween safety tips (https://www.wapc.org/wp-content/uploads/WAPCSHAHalloweenSafety2025.pdf) and call us if you encounter any scary surprises with a poison or potion! ☠️ 1-800-222-1222.

10/31/2025

From quick questions to scary emergencies, our poison specialists will guide you with the same steady calm and expert care. You can always expect a friendly, reassuring voice on the other end of the line, no matter the reason for your call. We're always here to help, 24/7/365! 1-800-222-1222.

10/29/2025

We’re honored to share that Washington Poison Center has been selected by the Gesa Community Foundation as a recipient of Gesa Credit Union’s Local Heroes Grant Award! 🎉

Thanks to this $5,700 grant, poison specialists will attend a national toxicology conference to learn about emerging issues and trends in the field. As new drugs and toxic substances continue to evolve, ongoing education helps our team stay prepared to save lives every day.

“We are grateful to the Gesa Community Foundation for supporting this opportunity to enhance the expertise of our staff,” says our CEO Dr. Scott Phillips. “We are seeing more complicated cases than ever before, and being immediately ready with the most up-to-date treatments enables us to save time when patients need it the most.”

Thank you, Gesa Credit Union, for recognizing and supporting local heroes! 💚

Read the press release here:https://www.wapc.org/wp-content/uploads/WAPC_PressRelease_GesaFoundation.pdf

10/27/2025

Two of our educators and our CEO spent most of last week in Yakima, WA, for the WSPHA: Washington State Public Health Association conference, where we presented on our cannabis data, our Language Line usage, and our cost savings for individuals and healthcare facilities. We reconnected with existing collaborators, formed new partnerships, and feel so bolstered to be a part of Washington’s public health network 🙂

10/27/2025

🐾 Say hello to LuLu (or, more formally, Louise), a chihuahua-cattle dog mix, often mistaken for a bat. LuLu is one of WAPC’s newest ambassadors, having joined the team with her human, Development & Communications Manager Ana Maria, in June.

LuLu, a mix of two protective breeds, is a loyal ambassador of WAPC (and anything else her human cares about--except other dogs.) However, she didn’t get hired as an in-office employee, as she’s unable to keep her voice down or collaborate with other office pups. So, she’s content to support WAPC from the comfort of her own home! 🤎

10/25/2025

It’s a really common call--are the insides of glow sticks poisonous? The short answer is no-the glow juice is generally nontoxic and doesn’t require medical attention if it’s swallowed or gets on the skin. However, it’s not a lot of fun. It can cause upset tummy and skin irritation. If it happens, give us a call for tips on how to minimize the discomfort! 1-800-222-1222.

Glow sticks are a great way to help stay visible at night, as long as you're gentle with them. 😆 Have a safe and happy Halloween season! 👻

10/23/2025

It’s employee giving season! If your workplace hosts a fall giving campaign, consider designating Washington Poison Center (EIN is 94-3214597).

We serve as a vital safety net for our community – keeping people safe, healthy, and out of the ER. Our Helpline is free, confidential, and available 24/7/365 service in 200 languages.

Last fiscal year, we helped 62,516 people with all types of poisonings, accidental ingestions, chemical exposures, medication mix-ups, and drug and substance questions.

We are an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit and our generous supporters to help fund our lifesaving services!

If you’re not part of an employee giving program, you can still ensure help is within reach for everyone, every day by donating directly at https://www.wapc.org/donate.
Thank you for your support!

10/22/2025

October is National Substance Use and Misuse Month, a time to focus attention on the growing issue of substance use in the United States. Prevention often focuses on children and young adults, overlooking the very real risk of older adult substance use and substance use disorders.

To learn more, join our CEO Dr. Scott Phillips, as he takes a deep dive into commonly misused medications and substances among older adults in his presentation from the 2025 Overdose Awareness Series.

📽️ Watch here:

Session from the 2025 Overdose Awareness SeriesThe prevalence of SUD in older adults has not been as widely recognized as in younger populations. The speake...

10/20/2025

It's Lead Poisoning Prevention Week - a time to raise awareness about the ways we all can reduce children's exposure to lead and prevent its harmful effects. If you have questions about lead poisoning, feel free to call us at 1-800-222-1222.

10/20/2025

Meet this week’s WAPC Pet Ambassadors: Prince Toad, King Toad, and Princess Mouse! These three live with Noemi, one of our poison specialists, so they take their ambassador roles seriously.

Prince is the quiet soul of the family — calm, thoughtful, and a little grumpy-looking, but full of love. Once stuck in Canada during COVID, he learned patience and kindness, even letting his brother King Toad share his snuggle spot.

King Toad, the younger “bad one,” has always believed he’s royalty. He puts on a brave face (even when the vet’s stethoscope says otherwise!) and has a big heart beneath his kingly swagger.

Princess Mouse is the Daddy’s girl. She’s always by her human’s side, perched on his shoulder, and first in line when the cans open. Small but mighty, she knows she’s the princess and makes sure everyone else does too.

Together, Prince, King Toad, and Princess Mouse rule the kingdom with a reminder to keep curious paws (and people!) safe from poisons.
😽
(Call us at 1-800-222-1222 if you do need help with any poison or substance-related issue.)

10/18/2025

Thank you to the Des Moines, WA Police Department for organizing this event today!

“The goal of this event is to highlight the many resources and services available in South King County while creating a fun, welcoming environment for families to enjoy.”

Thank you too to the City of Des Moines, Washington for your partnership as one of our funder cities - through the Human Services Funding Collaborative.

Washington Poison Center moves the needle on preventing unintentional poisonings in this community.

Set up and ready to go!

📅 Saturday, October 18th
🕙 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
📍 Redondo Square Shopping Center (near Planet Fitness) 27000 Pacific Highway South, Des Moines WA 98198

10/17/2025

With candy abound during Halloween season, it’s a good reminder that many cannabis edibles and regular candy look and are packaged identically. In fact, last year, U.S. poison centers managed nearly 5,000 calls about kids age 5 and under who ingested edibles – almost a 400% increase in the past five years.

If your child accidentally gets into a stash of cannabis candy, call us at 1-800-222-1222 for free, confidential guidance on what to do. Our poison experts hear about situations like this every day, so you can expect a calm, reassuring, and nonjudgmental person on the other end of the line.

Our Helpline is available 24/7/365: 1-800-222-1222.

Have a safe and fun Halloween!