DALLAS — The North Texas Poison Center receives more than 200,000 calls a year from people who have been exposed to toxic substances or have had bad reactions to food, plants or insect stings.  

It provides treatment information for the exposure to poisonous, hazardous substances and drugs.  

What You Need To Know

  • The North Texas Poison Center provides a dedicated line for overdose prevention 

  • The center receives more than 200,000 calls a year from people exposed to toxic chemicals 

  • Many of those calls concern exposure to opioids 

  • There is a need in Texas for resources for minors and information in Spanish 

The North Texas Poison Center is the first poison control center in the state to provide a dedicated line for overdose prevention.  

“We’ve been receiving calls with opioid exposures for years and as a poison center we have seen an exponential growth in those numbers as well,” said Anelle Menendez, certified poison specialist with the North Texas Poison Center.  

According to data from the North Texas Poison Center in the third quarter, Texas received more than 500 calls related to opioids. Over 200 calls were to the North Texas Poison Center.  

The Overdose Prevention Hotline will provide treatment resources, medication-assisted therapy and information about where to obtain Narcan in Dallas County.  

“It’s going to save lives,” Menendez said.

A community assessment by Dallas County Health and Human Services found a need to combat the opioid crisis.

In reporting by Spectrum News 1, parents voiced concerns about a lack of treatment resources for minors.  

The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), which explores Dallas County residents’ health needs, found a need for centralized resources for minors and in Spanish.  

“Two of the big gaps were that there were not treatment resources, really, for kids under 18 as well as Spanish language treatment resources,” explained Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services.  

The hotline is funded through a grant by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It will operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dr. Huang emphasizes people should still call 911 in case of an acute emergency.  

DCHHS is working to obtain data on hotspots to provide preventive education and resources in those communities.

“It affects the entire community,” Dr. Huang said. “It’s not just one-on-one treatment but looking as a community how we can address this crisis.”