Article posted Thursday, November 21, 2013 9:49am

Propublica, an independent nonprofit newsroom, teamed up with public radio show This American Life to study the dangers of acetaminophen, an ingredient in Tylenol, one of the country’s most popular pain killers.

150

Number of Americans who die each year by taking too much acetaminophen.

78,000

Number of emergency room visits caused by acetaminophen overdose each year.

1,567

The number of people who died from 2001 to 2010 from accidently taking too much acetaminophen.

15

Deaths reported for the entire class of prescription and non-prescription ibuprofen pain relievers in 2010.

32

Years it took the Food and Drug Administration to add a warning on acetaminophen medicines, warning the drug could cause “severe liver damage.” A panel made the suggestion for a warning in 1977, and it finally appeared in 2009.

25

Percent above the maximum daily dose of acetaminophen it takes to cause liver damage when taken over several days.

Source: Propublica, This American Life