Delightful Painkillers to Become Less So

by Liz Colville

The FDA is ordering the reduction of the amount of painkiller in prescription drugs including Vicodin and Percocet because the ingredient is responsible for “thousands of cases of liver damage in the United States each year.” The ingredient is plain old acetaminophen, found in Tylenol and NyQuil and all kinds of other fun over-the-counter things, but in way smaller quantities. The FDA is looking to get the ingredient reduced to 325 milligrams per capsule in prescription pills, which is still a freaking ton! Acetaminophen is the leading cause of liver failure in this country, accounting for around 56,000 ER visits each year and about 200 deaths! Gah!