South Dakota Poison Report 2024

2024 Annual Report Highlights

Call Volume

In 2024, South Dakota residents made 6,963 calls for assistance involving poison exposures.

How Poison Centers Help

  • Provide expert advice 24/7/365
  • Serve both the public and health care providers
  • Offer confidential guidance at no cost
  • Help prevent unnecessary emergency department visits and medical costs

Nationally, someone calls a poison center every 15 seconds, and poison centers save taxpayers an estimated $3.1 billion every year in medical costs and lost productivity.

Exposures by Age

Poisoning affects all ages, with more than 90% of incidents occurring at home. Children younger than 6 account for many unintentional exposures, while teens and adults may have higher risk for intentional, severe, or fatal poisonings.

  • Ages 0–5: highest pediatric exposure group
  • Ages 6–12: lower volume than younger children
  • Ages 13–19: moderate exposure volume
  • Ages 20+: highest overall age group

Route of Exposure

There were 7,049 total exposure routes reported. Ingestion was by far the most common route of exposure, followed by inhalation, dermal, ocular, parenteral, bite/sting, otic, aspiration, rectal, vaginal, and other/unknown routes.

Top Substance Categories

Of the 9,098 substances involved in South Dakota poison exposures, the most common substance categories included:

  • Analgesics
  • Household products
  • Antidepressants
  • Alcohols
  • Antihistamines
  • Sedatives
  • Stimulants
  • Cardiovascular drugs
  • Dietary products

A PDF version of the information above is also available:

South Dakota Poison Report 2024 (PDF)

About Sanford Poison Center

The Sanford Poison Center provides poison prevention education and partners with community volunteers across South Dakota. The Sanford Poison Center contracts with the Minnesota Regional Poison Center to manage poison-related calls.

South Dakota Poison Center Resources

Need poison help?

Expert advice is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for both the public and health care providers. Poison Help is confidential and available at no cost.

If you suspect someone has been exposed to a poison or has questions about a possible poisoning, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.

Need help accessing these materials?

Some resources on this page may be available as PDF documents. If you need these materials in an alternative or accessible format, please call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or contact us—we will provide assistance.