Shanghai health authorities are calling on residents to use rat poisons with less toxicity than "Dushuqiang" - a strong and acute pesticide that was banned by the central government decades ago but is still commonly found in the city.

The shanghai Patriotic Health Campaign Committee began to promote the use of milder pesticides 10 years ago.

However, many locals, especially those in the outskirts, still prefer Dushuqiang, which takes effect immediately, committee officials said yesterday.

"Our pesticide is much milder. If people get poisoned, he or she can be saved by taking vitamin E," said Tang Qiong, a committee spokeswoman, adding some locals think it is "more trouble than Dushuqiang."

Health officials warned Dushuqiang can seriously pollute the environment and result in deadly accidents if people take it.

In may, the Shanghai Railway Intermediate People's Court sentenced Zhang Jianli to death for murder. The 38-year-old woman put Dushuqiang in a colleague's dinner to take revenge. The colleague was seriously injured and her son died after eating the meal.

According to the Ministry of Health, Dushuqiang is the top reason for poisonings in China. Doctors explained the pesticide contains virulent chemicals and it's hard to find any cure.

The shanghai Health Pest Prevention and Cure Co under the committee said it sold 20 tons of the milder rat poison last year.

"Our products mainly are provided to district-based patriotic health campaign committees, which distribute the drugs among communities," said a company official identified as Jia.

However, officials said Dushuqiang is still available in local markets, especially in remote areas.

The committee says the poison is involved in numerous poisonings every year, although it doesn't keep accurate statistics.

"In order to have a quick effect, many people buy Dushuqiang at streetside stalls. If children mistakenly take it, the result will be fatal," Jia stressed.

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