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Some of the scariest moments in our lives come from
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doing things we do every single day, things that are
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completely innocuous, like taking a drive to the grocery store
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or consuming an aspirin for our headache. But what happens
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to a nation that realizes those little headache pills can
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be deadly.
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What you were about to take the spur Based on
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witness accounts, testimonies, and public record, this is terrifying and.
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Well, my spookies. As we head towards the Thanksgiving holiday,
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I wanted to cover a story I remember reading about
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when I was a young man that always captured my
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attention because, you see, being born in nineteen eighty six,
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I never lived in a world without tamper evident packaging
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on medicines and even foods and such. There was a
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time when it was possible to open a bottle of say, thailanol,
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and put whatever you wanted inside and place it right
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back on the shelf. And unfortunately that happened and people died,
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and it changed the entire world of pharmaceuticals. We're going
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to dive deep into that story tonight. Right after this
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In September of nineteen eighty two, on a day that
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appeared normal in every sense, the vibrant city of Chicago
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was about to be shaken by a series of chilling incidents.
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These events would profoundly alter our perception of over the
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counter drug safety. The unsettling sequence began with a seemingly
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minor act. Twelve year old Mary Kellerman, residing in the
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quiet suburb of Elk Grove Village, reached for a tylanol
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to relieve her cold symptoms. This everyday decision led to
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an unthinkable outcome. Within a short time after taking the medication,
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Mary was found unresponsive. Her sudden and mysterious death left
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her family reeling in shock and confusion, while medical professionals
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scrambled to understand how a common cold remedy could turn fatal.
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The tragedy that started with Mary Kellerman only grew more horrifying.
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Within the same day, Adam Janis, a twenty seven year
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old postal worker from Arlington Heights, Illinois, also fell victim
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under eerily similar circumstances. Initially, his sudden death was presumed
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to be a massive heart attack. However, it soon became
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clear that he had been poisoned by cyanide, a lethal
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and effective poison. The wave of anguish that his death
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caused among his family members led to an even more
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heartbreaking series of events. In their profound grief, Adam's brother, Stanley,
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aged twenty five, and Stanley's wife, Teresa, just nineteen years old,
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both from Lyell, Illinois, came to Adam's home to mourn
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and offer support to the bereaved family. Suffering from intense headaches,
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a physically stressful reaction that is not uncommon during so
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such an emotionally taxing time, they reached for what they
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believed would be a relief, extra strength tylanol, from the
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very bottle Adam had used. Tragically, Stanley lost his life
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on that same day, while Teresa succumbed two days later.
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As the days unfolded, the situation grew even more alarming,
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with three additional deaths, all linked by a common, yet
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initially unsuspected thread. Mary McFarland, a thirty five year old
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resident of Elmhurst, Illinois, Paula Prince, thirty five from Chicago,
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and twenty seven year old Mary Winer of Winfield, Illinois,
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all passed away under bafflingly similar circumstances. Investigation revealed that
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each of them had taken tylanol shortly before their sudden deaths,
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pointing to a harrowing pattern that implicated the seemingly innocuous
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over the counter medication as a vehicle for something sinister.
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As the unsettling pattern of deaths began to emerge in
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early October of nineteen eighty two, investigators embarked on a
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crucial journey of discovery. They linked the untimely and mysterious
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deaths to tilanol, the nation's favorite over the counter painkiller
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at the time. Known for its effectiveness and gelatine based
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capsules that were easy to ingest, tilanol was a household staple. Tragically,
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it was found that each victim had consumed a capsule
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that contained a fatal dose of cyanide, transforming an everyday
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medicine into a deadly weapon. McNeil Consumer Products, a division
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of the healthcare behemoth Johnson and Johnson, was at the
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forefront of tailanol production, demonstrating responsibility and proactive crisis management.
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The country swiftly engaged with the media to spread urgent
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warnings to the public. In a pivotal move, they initiated
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an immediate withdrawal of over thirty one million bottles of
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tailanol from the market. This preventative measure was critical, especially
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when in the following days, contaminated capsules were discovered on
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the shelves of several grocery and drug stores around Chicago. Thankfully,
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due to the prompt recall, these tainted products were intercepted
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before further tragedy ensued. To mitigate the impact on customers,
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McNeil and Johnson and Johnson offered safe replacements for return
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tileanol pills and promised a monetary reward for information that
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would lead to the capture of those behind therrific acts.
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The investigation into the taylanol murders proved baffling for law enforcement,
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the pharmaceutical company, and the public. It led Johnson and
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Johnson to deduce that the tampering with cyanide must have
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occurred after the tailanhol had been distributed from the factory. Intriguingly,
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someone had presumably taken the bottles from retail locations, tampered
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with the contents by adding cyanide to the capsules, and
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then skillfully returned the manipulated packages back to store shelves.
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These tampered products were then unknowingly purchased by the victims,
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adding an insidiously random layer of premeditation and malice to
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the already terrifying events. Among the various names that emerged
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in connection with these heinous acts, James Lewis became particularly notable.
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In a bold and bizarre gambit, Lewis attempted to extort
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money from Johnson and Johnson, the manufacturer of tylanhol by
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sending a letter in which he demanded one million dollars
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in order to halt the cyanide poisonings. The audacity and
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direct link to the crimes catapulted Lewis into the prime
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focus of the investigation. Despite his capture and subsequent conviction
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for extortion, the evidence fell short of conclusively proving his
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involvement in the murders themselves. This ambiguous end to the
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investigation left a lingering question mark over the case, with
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many feeling unsettled about whether justice had been fully served.
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Lewis's arrest shed some light on his character and passed.
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Having had a history of legal and criminal issues, he
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did not shy away from controversy or legal entanglements throughout
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the investigation, and even after serving more than twelve years
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in prison for the extortion attempt. Lewis vehemently denied any
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involvement in the Taileanhol deaths. His claims, while consistent, did
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not suffice to either wholly convict or exonerate him in
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the public eye, leaving his true connection to the poisonings
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a topic of speculation and debate. In the wake of
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the shocking Taileanhol poisonings of nineteen eighty two, a series
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of similar incidents surfaced, though none matched the original in
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either scale or fatalities. Thankfully, these subsequent copycat poisonings stirred
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fears and interjected new anxieties into the hearts of consumers,
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leading to widespread speculation and a plethora of conspiracy theories
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that still find a home on the Internet to this day.
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Before this dark chapter, Tailanol was a titan in the
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market of over the counter pain relievers, boasting a commanding
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thirty five percent market share. However, the murders had an
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immediate and devastating impact, causing their market share to nosedive
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to less than eight percent in a matter of weeks.
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Faced with a crisis of both conscience and capital, the
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executives at Johnson and Johnson, Tailanhal's parent company, understood they
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had to take decisive action not just to salvage their product,
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but to restore public faith in their commitment to consumer safety.
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The response from Johnson and Johnson was multifaceted and revolutionary.
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In collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration, they pioneered
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new tamper evident packaging, characterized by foil seals and features
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that made tampering evident to buyers. This response not only
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set a new standard within the pharmaceutical industry, but also
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acted as a bulwark against future attempts at product tampering.
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They introduced these innovations alongside consumer incentives such as price
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reductions and the launch of the Caplet, a more secure
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gelatine coded tablet that was both easier to swallow and
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harder to tamper with compared to the traditional capsules. These efforts,
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coupled with a robust marketing campaign and an investment surpassing
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one hundred million dollars, enabled tailanof to stage a remarkable comeback.
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Within a year, It reclaimed its position as America has
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preferred over the counter pain reliever, proving naysayers wrong and
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earning accolades for its crisis management. The whole ordeal, especially
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Johnson and Johnson's deft handling of the crisis has since
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become a staple in business curriculums, serving as a benchmark
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for effective corporate crisis response. This multi layered narrative from
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tragedy through transformation to triumph illustrates not only the resilience
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of a brand, but also the evolution of consumer product
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safety in the shadow of terror. Innovation and integrity paved
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the way for a safer future for all. The aftermath
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of the Tailenol poisonings, a tragic event that shook the
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community and the country to its core, resulted in a
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significant transformation in all consumer product safety practices. In the
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wake of the incident, manufacturers took swift action to address
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the fears and vulnerability that were exposed. One of the
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key changes implemented was the widespread adoption of tamper evident
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safety seals on products, which not only provided consumers with
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a visible indicator of their product's safety, but also the
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integrity from the moment it leaves the production line to
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the point of purchase. This shift towards more secure packaging
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was a direct response to these harrowing events, with the
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goal of preventing such a terrifying ordeal from ever happening again.
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As time passed and the years turned into decades, the
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impact of the Tailenol poisonings continued to loom large, shaping
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the landscape of consumer safety in profound ways. The case
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of James Lewis, cloaked in a veil of mystery and intrigue,
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remains one of the most enigmatic and unsettling chapters in
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this dark saga. Following his recent passing, as confirmed by authorities,
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some may find a semblance of closure, while still grappling
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with the intricate complexities and lingering questions that have persisted
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over the years. The legacy of the Tailenhol poisonings serves
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as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining vigilance
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and prioritizing the safety and well being of consumers above
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all else. The grim reality of the Taileanhol poisonings didn't
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just spur changes within the pharmaceutical company Johnson and Johnson.
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It echoed through the corridors of the United States Congress,
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prompting legislation aimed at protecting the public. In the year
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following the crisis, lawmakers passed legislation colloquially known as the
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Taileanhol Bill. This bill was an important legal stepping stone,
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as it made the act of tampering with consumer products
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a federal crime. With this bill, everyone from the manuf
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facturers to the general public understood that tampering with medications
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wasn't just dangerous, but also a serious criminal offense. With
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the full weight of federal law enforcement behind it. The
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legislative responses didn't stop there. In nineteen eighty nine, six
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years after the initial scare, the US Food and Drug Administration,
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which regulates food and drugs in the United States, laid
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down comprehensive federal guidelines for manufacturers. These guidelines demanded that
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over the counter as well as prescription medications be produced
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in a manner that made them tamper proof. The goal
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was clear, make it as difficult as possible for anyone
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with ill intentions to meddle with these products that so
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many people trust and rely on for their health and
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well being. Even though the senseless loss of life due
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to the Taileanhol poisonings remain means a haunting chapter in
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public health history, it triggered proactive measures. The enactment of
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the so called Tailenol Bill and the establishment of FDA
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guidelines represented significant leaps forward in consumer safety protections. There
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is a recognition that no system is infallible. However, the
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safety measures that arose from those tragic events have undeniably
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made over the counter medications more secure. These new safety
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measures have sought to protect the countless individuals who use
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these products, thereby embedding a legacy of consumer protection borne
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out of tragedy. After the tragic Tailanhol murders in nineteen
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eighty two, the way we protect over the counter medicines
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changed for the better. Although it was a dark period,
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the tragedy caused a complete overhaul in how we make
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sure that the medicines we buy are safe. Before then,
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it wasn't common to find safetyfty seals on medicine bottles.
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But now every time you pick up a medicine off
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the shelf, you'll notice those seals are there working as
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a shield against anyone trying to tamper with the contents,
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anyone trying to indiscriminately harm the innocent. It's a big
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step that's been taken to keep us all safe. This
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just goes to show that even when something terrible happens,
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we have the power to make positive changes. In response,
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we decided that something had to be done to protect
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each other, and because of that decision, buying medicine is
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much safer now than ever before. But it's not just
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about safety seals. The whole incident made everyone, companies, authorities,
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and consumers more aware and more careful. Everyone learned to
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pay attention and be more cautious, which means the trust
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we have in the things we buy every day has grown.
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Looking back on those sorrowful days, we see that we've
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come a long way in making sure such a tragedy
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doesn't strike again. Our commitment to keeping each other safe
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made today a little bit brighter and certainly a lot safer.
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So while the pain of the past can't be forgotten,
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the steps we've taken since then remind us that we
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can face big challenges and come out stronger for it.
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With every safety seal we see, we are reminded of
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the importance of vigilance and care in our own daily lives.
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Terrifying and True is narrated by Enrique Kuta, its executive
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produced by Rob Fields, Mark Shields and Bobletopia dot Com.
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It's produced by Dan Wilder with original music by Ray Mattis.
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If you have a story you'd like us to cover,
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send us an email at Weekly Spooky at gmail dot com.
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And if you want to support us directly for as
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little as one dollar a month, simply go to Weeklyspooky
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dot com and click on Patreon. Your support helps us
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keep the podcast going and growing, and speaking of I
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want to say an extra special thank you to our
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Patreon podcast boosters, folks who pay us a little bit