Tylenol bottles being sold in the United States will bear red warnings of its fatal risks if consumed excessively, according to the Commercial Appeal.
This move was a result of the growing number of lawsuits and pressures from the federal government that may have widespread ramifications for a medicine taken by millions of people daily.
Johnson & Johnson confirmed that the red warnings will appear on the cap of new bottles of Extra Strength Tylenol sold in the United States starting October and on most Tylenol bottles in the coming months.
The warning will also make it clear that Tylenol, an over-the-counter drug contains acetaminophen, a pain-relieving ingredient that is that nation's leading cause of sudden liver failure.
"We're always looking for ways to better communicate information to patients and consumers," said Dr. Edwin Kuffner, vice president of McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the Johnson & Johnson unit that makes Tylenol.
Each year, overdose on Tylenol sends approximately 55,000 to 80,000 people in the United States to emergency rooms, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention confirmed.
Tylenol is the first of these products to contain a warning label on its bottle cap.
The new red cap will read: "CONTAINS ACETAMINOPHEN" and "ALWAYS READ THE LABEL."
