Rate My Professor Lucas Hay

Lucas Hay serves as Poisons Information Officer at the National Poisons Centre, part of the University of Otago's Division of Health Sciences in Dunedin, New Zealand. The centre, which has been affiliated with the university since 1964, delivers a 24/7 toll-free telephone service providing expert clinical advice on poisonings and hazardous substance exposures to healthcare professionals, members of the public, and industry stakeholders nationwide. Hay earned his Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Postgraduate Diploma in Science (PGDipSci) from the University of Otago. In his position, he plays a key role in responding to enquiries, offering guidance on managing exposures to toxic substances.

Lucas Hay has contributed to research in toxicology and public health surveillance. He produced a conference poster and presented an abstract entitled "Trends in Nicotine Exposure Enquiries to New Zealand National Poisons Centre Between 2017 and 2024" at the Toxicology and Poisons Network Australasia (TAPNA) 2025 scientific assembly held in Wellington, New Zealand. This study involved a retrospective review of call records from the National Poisons Centre database documenting human exposures to recreational nicotine products including tobacco and vapes, as well as nicotine replacement therapies such as gum and lozenges, spanning 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2024. A total of 1,716 calls met the criteria. The annual proportion of these nicotine-related calls among all centre enquiries rose from 0.56% to 1.1%. Enquiries regarding vaping products saw a five-fold increase, whereas those for nicotine replacement therapies and tobacco products fell by 52% and 64%, respectively. Vaping products accounted for 64% of exposures, tobacco 20%, and nicotine replacement therapies 15%. Exposures predominantly involved children aged 5 years and under, representing 67% of cases, often exploratory in nature. Parents were the callers in 63% of instances. Symptom profiles showed 49% of patients asymptomatic, 35% with mild effects like coughing, mild vomiting, and lightheadedness, and 24% with more severe manifestations including drowsiness, chest pain, repeated vomiting, pallor, and sweating. The primary exposure routes were ingestion at 52% and inhalation at 28%. Medical assessment was recommended for 36% of patients, with referrals dropping from 60% to 46% after the implementation of weight-based triage protocols for vape liquid ingestions in January 2022. These findings underscore evolving patterns in nicotine exposures corresponding to national declines in smoking prevalence and upsurges in vaping since 2015.