Seven people—Mary Kellerman, Adam Janus, Stanley Janus, Theresa Janus, Mary Reiner,
Mary McFarland, and Paula Prince—ages 12 to 35, from Chicago died between September 29 and October 1, 1982 after swallowing cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules.
Ortel writes about the reshaped consumer safety protocols following an investigation into the tampered pills. The author emphasizes that the manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, demonstrated effective crisis management by immediately recalling 31 million bottles and proactively investing over $100 million in safer gelatin caplets. Ortel notes that the passage of the Federal Anti-Tampering Act set the lasting precedent for tamper-evident seals on all over-the-counter medication.