Dokuz Eylul University Drug and Poison Information Center (DPIC) in Izmir was set up in the beginning of 1993 as the first regional poison information service in western Turkey. In 1994, DPIC received 3011 telephone calls, of these 1852 (62%) concerned poisoning with the remainder concerning drug information. Details of each case and the advice during the phone call were recorded on a standardized form and subsequently entered into a database program. Calls concerning poisoning were classified according to the type of caller, age and sex of the patient, agent included, route of exposure, symptoms, date, type of intoxication, treatment and outcome of the case. A great majority of calls were from the Izmir region (97%) and most calls were made by physicians or nurses (93%). The time from exposure to contact with DPIC was under one hour in 45% of cases. Children (0-17 years) accounted for 50% of cases, most of these between 0 and 6 years old (61%). While accidental poisoning occurred in 93% of children between 0 and 6 years old, intentional poisoning was predominant in children between 7 and 17 years old (45%). In adults ([gt ]17 years), suicidal intention was present in 72% of cases. The involved substances were as follows: Pharmaceutical agents (62%), insecticides (9% -- organophosphates accounted for 41% of these), food poisoning (7%) and household products (5%). The most frequently involved pharmaceuticals were central nervous system depressants (33%) such as antidepressants and benzodiazepines, and analgesics (24%). The principal route of exposure was ingestion (89%) followed by inhalation (6%) and bites and stings (3%). The most common bites and stings were made by scorpions (47%). Ten fatalities were recorded (0.5%). Among the causal agents were three insecticides, two methanols, one salicylate, one quinine, one lye, one squill and one food poisoning (botulism). As calls from the general public and medical personnel increase, we expect growing positive influence on prevention and treatment of poisonings in the near future.