In this just-published study by Dr. William Shaw in the Journal of Restorative Medicine, strong evidence is presented that acetaminophen (sold as Tylenol or Paracetamol) increases in the rate of autism, asthma, and attention deficit with hyperactivity in genetically and/or metabolically susceptible children. In the United States, acetaminophen is sold as an over-the-counter drug that needs no prescription, in spite of the fact that it results in death for hundreds of Americans each year. Many of the statistics on deaths and injuries due to acetaminophen was revealed in a comprehensive report earlier this year by ProPublica (See: Tylenol is Killing Americans).

The evidence presented in this study is very convincing, as it looked at autism rates in Cuba, where acetaminophen is only available via prescription, and not widely used. Will the FDA finally act to take popular acetaminophen drugs off the market, or are market forces so strong as to prevail, even in the face of such overwhelming evidence?