Poison centers across the United States recorded a 287% rise in the rate of reported intentional substance exposures at school among children ages 6 to 10 between 2000 and 2024, according to a study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. The rate climbed from 3.1 to 11.9 per 100,000 children. Among children ages 11 to 13, the rate rose 112%, while the rate among high school-aged teens dipped slightly.
The findings shift attention toward younger students. For parents, they suggest that conversations about medicines, household products, and safe choices may need to start well before the teen years.
