Poisonous Tylenol found in California drugstore

October 6, 1982

Strychnine, an odorless and colorless poison, was found in two bottles of Extra-Strength Tylenol taken from a drugstore in Oroville, Calif., a McNeil Consumer Products Company spokesman revealed Tuesday. At least one person had ingested the poison, but no fatalities were reported.

The California discovery, the first outside the Chicago area, resulted in an immediate call by the Food and Drug Administration for retailers nationwide to discontinue the sale of all Tylenol pills.