Substitute Resolution to
Protect the Illinois Poison Center
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center has been providing timely poison prevention and treatment services to the people of Illinois for over 60 years as the oldest and one of the largest poison centers in the nation; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center is a mainstay in the emergency medical care system of the State of Illinois and is recognized nationally for its contributions to poison treatment and prevention; and
WHEREAS, poisoning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center serves as a first responder for Illinois residents facing poisoning emergencies, caring for nearly 82,000 poison-related cases statewide annually - with nearly 13,000 in Chicago alone; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center proactively educates Chicago residents in an effort to reduce poisonings, such as increasing ingestion of "laundry pod" detergent packages by children, or new forms of drug or medication misuse/abuse by patients; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center has trained over 400 Chicagoans in poison prevention education; and they, in turn, staffed over 88 events reaching over 12,000 Chicago residents with injury prevention and education; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center assists in public health threats and disaster preparedness, including threats of bioterrorism, concerns about the influenza outbreaks, and inquiries concerning nuclear radiation matters and material and antidote distribution for Chicago; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center also plays a key role in the Chicago Department of Public Health's CHEMPACK Program, serving in coordination to pre-position antidotes to expedite the treatment of individuals exposed to chemical nerve agents; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center provides expertise to Chicago's first responders during crisis poisonings, including toxicology expertise and consultation services; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center manages approximately 90 percent of cases from the general public at home and prevents about 4,800 unnecessary emergency room visits in Chicago alone; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center prevents an estimated 4,000 unnecessary ambulance runs in Chicago annually; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center saved Chicago over $7 million in reduced health care and lost productivity costs in 2012 alone; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center is funded through what is a true public-private partnership; and
WHEREAS, approximately 25 percent of the Illinois Poison Center's total budget is provided in the form of base funding by the State of Illinois, down from the historical 40 percent over the past decade; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Poison Center may close on June 30, 2014 due to continued decreases in government investment, making Illinois the only state in the country without poison center services; and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is concerned with losing its only remaining poison control, information and treatment center; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois General Assembly has under consideration bills affecting funding for 9-1-1 call centers through the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act, and some include financial support for the Illinois Poison Center; therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO that, with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, we support the efforts of the Illinois Poison Center to pursue a plan for sustainable and appropriate funding to preserve the Illinois Poison Center and continue to save lives; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon the Chicago delegation of the Illinois General Assembly and the General Assembly's leaders to support the funding of the Illinois Poison Center as part of the reauthorization of the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that suitable copies of this Resolution be delivered to Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan, to Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross, to Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, to Illinois Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, and to the Chicago delegation of the Illinois General Assembly.