Cold Medicine Recall for Alcohol Content Label

Over the counter cold medicines have become quite controversial over the last decade with more and more teenagers abusing them to achieve a high. Some teenagers use cough medicine for the DXM (Dextromethorphan) that they contain which can give people hallucinations, but, others may use cough syrup for the alcohol content - others want it all. One bottle of cough syrup has the ingredients necessary to give someone a high; however, there are a number of teenagers and young adults that do not realize that these seemingly harmless over the counter drugs are accompanied by the chance of overdose and/or death. Johnson & Johnson, which has become the world’s largest health-products company, decided to recall 9.3 million bottles of Tylenol cold treatments because the bottles lacked an alcohol content warning on the front label.

Fortunately, no one had to overdose or lose their life because of the missing warning label, this was a recall done on the companies accord. “This is a wholesale and retail level recall and is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse events,” J&J said on the website. “No action is required by consumers or health-care providers and consumers can continue to use the product.” Three different Tylenol products used flavoring agents that contain less than 1 percent alcohol, and the alcohol content was listed on the package rather than the front of the bottle, according to a statement on J&J’s website.

According to Bloomberg Business Week, "In April, more than 40 types of J&J’s children’s over-the- counter liquid medicines were recalled, forcing a suspension of production at a plant and reducing 2010 sales about $600 million, the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company said in July. The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been investigating J&J’s handling of the April recall and a separate incident involving Motrin tablets".

Products include:

• Tylenol Daytime 8 oz. Citrus Burst
• Tylenol Severe 8 oz. Cool Burst
• Tylenol Nighttime 8 oz. Cool Burst