This study was conducted to determine the incidence of hospital admissions following acute poisoning, nature of agents involved and change in pattern of poisoning over a 5-year period. Data from hospital records of all admissions to emergency department following acute poisoning collected prospectively were analysed for the period January 1993 to January 1998. A steady increase in deliberate poisoning using pesticides, particularly among young adults, was noted. Kerosene (paraffin) was the commonest poison in children and plant poisons were also common. There were 52 deaths (3.3%) among the 1584 admissions. The majority of deaths were due to pesticides. Poisoning and mortality followed ingestion of readily-available and commonly used agents. Measures to increase public education, counselling and awareness could prevent a number of these admissions.