Abstract
This chapter summarizes the origins and activities of Poison Control Centres (PCC), also known as Toxicological Information Centres (TIC) in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the area controlled by the USSR after the second world war, behind the "Iron Curtain". Their historical roots have much in common, in that communist regimes influenced the social and economic conditions important to their establishment.
The focus will be on the Czech Republic TIC as an example of how many centers developed in Eastern Europe. It briefly examines the history and current operation of other PCCs operating in the region, using contacts from the European Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicologists (EAPCCT), the World Health Organization (WHO) Directory of Poison Centres, and from the author's personal contacts.