By Thomas Easton

ON THE MERE FACT that Tylenol is dangerous, the plaintiffs suing Johnson & Johnson have no case. All drugs are dangerous. There is scarcely a substance with therapeutic value that is not lethal if misused (see chart below). (Well, there is no citation for marijuana, because it is one medicine which has no lethal dose. Yes, Steve, marijuana.) Note that the Food & Drug Administration-the agency that restricted the use of saccharin and silicone breast implants on the flimsiest of scientific grounds-has never taken steps to outlaw acetaminophen. J&J's problem is not with the product; it is with the labeling. It's a clear case of how what you don't know can kill you.