The US Tylenol Problem, Visualized

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In the last 10 years, 1,500 Americans died after taking too much of one of—nominally—the world's safest drugs: acetaminophen or, as you might know it, Tylenol. This viz goes a long way to explaining why that's the case.

ProPublica has a wonderfully detailed feature about the overuse of acetaminophen. One of the most compelling points it raises is the fact that Tylenol is available in massive quantities in the US. This image compares the maximum amount of acetaminophen allowed in a single package in different countries, which ranges from as little as 10 grams in Germany and Mexico to a staggering 500 grams in the US. Those numbers are telling, don't you think? [ProPublica via Flowing Data]