http://www.propublica.org/article/tylenol-mcneil-fda-behind-...
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0220_drug_overdose_d...
...is tautological and could be said about almost anything.
The fact that the toxic dose is close to the therapeutic dose means that it is not safe.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/Depression/2233
"Liver toxicity from acetaminophen poisoning is by far the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States, researchers reported."
But that's because paracetamol is deliberately used as a self-poisoning method. Very few of those acute overdoses are accidental. Although they do happen accidental overdose is usually old people storing meds in the wrong place and children getting access.
Very few people accidentally overdose on paracetamol by doubling up on paracetamol containing meds - and the solution is better packaging and warnings.
There are some things that help reduce overdosing. Restricting the sale of paracetamol to blister packs only, and not bottles, does help.
(Neither you nor Alex3917 have suggested a safer off the shelf alternative)
"Some people deliberately take toxic doses in suicide attempts, but others may accumulate high levels of acetaminophen unintentionally when they take, for example, Tylenol for a headache and a second acetaminophen-containing product for cold symptoms."
Also people overdose when they're hung over.
>(Neither you nor Alex3917 have suggested a safer off the shelf alternative)
And I don't intend to. Ask a doctor. I have no idea why you use it, or if any suggestion of mine would cover that usage. I never find any reason to use anything stronger than aspirin, and Advil was suggested earlier in the thread.
First, I said "overdoses", not "overdose deaths". There is a difference.
The source you cited doesn't make it clear whether the known opioid deaths did or did not involve acetaminophen. Since hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine, dihydrocodeine, and tramadol are all combined with acetaminophen, I'd guess the intersection of the two sets is significant.
The FDA recognized this problem and cut the APAP dose in combination analgesics to a maximum of 325mg (compared with the recommended 500mg dose of APAP alone) in 2009. They did not restrict the opioid dosages because they weren't responsible for the toxicity.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/505/u...