Awareness programme on pesticides

Chamikara Weerasinghe

Poisoning deaths related to pesticides have increased in recent years.

The National Hospital's Poison and Drugs Information Centre reported that the males were involved in most intentional poisoning deaths or poison related suicides in the country.

They fall to the age category of 20 years to 29 the sources noted.

Health Ministry sources said, the ministry has launched a countrywide programme to make the public aware about poisonous substances including pesticides to prevent all types of poison related deaths. According to police statistics on suicide cases in 2006, there had been 4,504 suicide deaths out of which 2,787 cases were poison-related.

Of the 2,787 cases, 2467 have died for consuming pesticides, Ministry sources said.

As pointed out by the sources, poisoning is the cause of five per cent of deaths that occur in hospitals in the country.

Dr. D.R.W. Dissanayake of Poison and Drugs Information Centre said that anyone can obtain information or advice on poisoning from the Centre around the clock on 011-2686143 and 011-2691111.