J&J tries new cap to curb fatal Tylenol overdoses

Bottles of Tylenol sold in the U.S. will soon bear red warnings alerting users to the potentially fatal risks of taking too much of the popular pain reliever. The step, disclosed by the maker of Tylenol, comes amid lawsuits and pressure from the federal government.

Johnson & Johnson says the warning will appear on the cap of each new bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol sold in the U.S. in October and on most other Tylenol bottles in coming months. The warning will make it clear the over-the-counter drug contains acetaminophen, a pain-relieving ingredient that's the nation's leading cause of sudden liver failure.

Overdoses from acetaminophen send 55,000 to 80,000 people to the emergency room in the U.S. each year and kills at least 500.

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