As part of California's Proposition 65 law, the state must maintain a list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. California is considering adding acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol to this list of hazardous chemicals. In this episode, we first explain what acetaminophen is and what it is used for. Then, we summarize the evidence of why some scientists think it may cause cancer and discuss whether these concerns are valid based on the research.

Sources: 

https://reason.com/2020/01/22/acetaminophen-carcinogen-california-prop-65/

*Acetaminophen report: https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/crnr/acetaminophenhid092019.pdf

Headaches and prostaglandins: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5005-migraine-headaches

Inflammation: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279298/

NSAIDS: https://www.arthritis.org/drug-guide/nsaids/nsaids

Acetaminophen: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/acetaminophen-avoiding-liver-injury

Prop 65: https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65