New Warnings to Appear on Extra Strength Tylenol Bottles

Extra Strength Tylenol will soon have a new warning on their caps:

“Contains acetaminophen. Always read the label.”

The red lettering is an effort by Johnson & Johnson, to reduce the number of accidental acetaminophen overdoses, which occur annually.

According to the National Institutes of Health:

“Acetaminophen overdose is one of the most common poisonings worldwide.”

Taking too much of this medicine can cause severe liver damage.

Overdose from acetaminophen constitute roughly 55,000 to 80,000 emergency room visits in the United States each year, and it kills at least 500 people every year, according to health officials.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets the maximum limit for adults at 4,000 milligrams per day. One gel tablet of Extra Strength Tylenol contains 500 mg.

Tylenol Bottle label Warnings

People should keep their doctor and pharmacist informed about all the medications they are taking to ensure that they are not consuming more than the daily limit, according to the FDA. They should also avoid taking acetaminophen with alcohol.

“With more than 600 (over the counter) and prescription medications containing acetaminophen on the market, this is an important step because it will help remind consumers to always read the label,” Johnson & Johnson said in a statement about the new caps, which will arrive on bottles of Extra Strength Tylenol sold in October in the U.S.

Johnson and Johnson is the world’s largest maker of health-care products. Of the company’s $67 billion in sales last year, 6.5 percent was made by sales of over-the-counter drugs (including Tylenol) and nutritional products.