Always surprises me as an American in the UK how hostile the UK is to paracetamol. You buy it in like 300-pill packages in the US, and I've literally never heard of anyone having a single accidental over-dose. I'm not sure I've ever heard of anyone intentionally overdosing on it, but I guess I can't rule that out since I'm aware of who 1-2 people personally have taken "a handful of pills".

The efficacy window of driving cars is pretty narrow, and represents existential risk to third parties. But as with cars, sometimes the balance favors wide availability.

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kelnos 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

> Always surprises me as an American in the UK how hostile the UK is to paracetamol.

This is so funny because there's a post in another subthread by someone from the UK saying the same thing about Americans being hostile toward it.

I've only been to the UK a few times, but I feel like it's a funny meme that people in the UK unhesitatingly suggest and take paracetamol for everything. I guess that's not really true, or at least has some truth to it but is an exaggeration?

	▲	piker 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		I’m more referring to the fact that it’s treated like a controlled substance here and sold in limited quantities from behind the counter. It’s the same treatment the U.S. gives to Sudafed which is an input to meth as I understand it.

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philjohn 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The problem becomes, 8 tablets a day, minimum of 4 hours between doses is fine for a week or so, but do that for months and the liver toxicity creeps up on you.

	▲	jjk166 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		If you feel the need for 8 tablets a day for months, go see a doctor. Your liver is probably the least of your concerns.

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tialaramex 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It doesn't make much sense to think of efficacy windows for driving, it's not a medical intervention.

Besides US traffic deaths are crazy high by UK standards.

	▲	piker 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		I believe the numbers normalize a bit when you adjust for the fact that everyone drives in the U.S. and tends to be alone when driving. So it’s like accident per mile driven and you see it’s around the same. But in the UK many fewer people drive as a proportion of the population and especially those who are more dangerous (e.g. young, old, disabled, drunk) tend to opt out here due to the availability of mass transit which doesn’t work in the U.S.

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Symbiote 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The small packages available in the UK are entirely to reduce the chance of suicide.

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throwawaymaths 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

iiuc it's really hard to OD on tylenol but really easy to end your quality of life through drug interactions with tylenol