Introduction Poisoning and eating toxin is consists more than 130000 emergency references and 1% of emergency admission. In over all poison consumption is more common among children between 1 and 5 years old. The aim of this study is to determine the epidemiology of acute poisoning especially common poisoning in children admitted in emergency ward in Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad Iran, 2012.

Method This cross-sectional study was performed for children admitted due to poisoning in the paediatric emergency department in Imam Reza Hospital Mashhad, Iran in 2012. The results were compared between patients by using SPSS software and statistical tests.

Results The most common agent led to poisoning in children were drugs (60%). In our emergency centre the most common poisoning is opium compounds especially methadone (40%). Of 409 child with symptoms of poisoning 256 cases had different opium poisoning (62.5%) and 69 cases (26.9%) had only methadone poisoning.). We think it reason that methadone syrup is available in the out of hospital and pharmacy. Parents use it to give up addiction. Detergents were used in 1.8%, toxins in 4.9%, Banzodiazpin agents in 13.9%, cardiology drugs in 1.3%, other neurologic drugs in 3.6% of children. Most of children (55.8) were referred to hospital in first 24 h. One child (0.3%) died because of poisoning and 5 patients (1.5%) had long term complications.

Conclusion Drugs were the most common agent was used by children for accidental poisoning and it was more common in early childhood (2–24 months). In our emergency centre the most common poisoning is opium compounds especially methadone. We think it reason that methadone syrup is available in the out of hospital and pharmacy. Parents use it to give up addiction.