Should DayQuil Be Legal?
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Over-the-counter cold drugs like DayQuil contain mostly ineffective ingredients and dangerous acetaminophen.
DayQuil's active ingredients are acetaminophen and two placebos: dextromethorphan (ineffective per studies) and oral phenylephrine (FDA proposed removal). A $15 bottle contains ~16 cents of acetaminophen; store brands have >6000% markup. The FDA's approval process allows poorly effective drugs to stay on market. Acetaminophen overdose causes 50,000 ER visits and 500 deaths yearly, half unintentional, from combo drugs double-dosing. Separating acetaminophen could prevent harm.
What commenters are saying
Top comment argues for drug legalization generally, claiming prohibition causes more harm than benefit; example given of easier antibiotic access abroad vs. US. Replies note the article isn't about legalization but misleading marketing. Several commenters challenge the article's claim that dextromethorphan is a placebo, citing its dissociative effects at higher doses. Others cite personal experience that phenylephrine is ineffective. A split emerges between those favoring regulation and those opposing drug war restrictions.