Where did he go from the discussion about Paracetamol? Two countries make 75% of the world's active substance production

It is not paracetamol or any other drug are dangerous, but their use without the indication of the doctor or pharmacist. Today, in the digital era, instead of asking the indication of the doctor or pharmacist, we consult Dr. Google, conf.

• The article comes in the context in which US President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a connection between the use of a popular analgesic issued without a prescription, Tylenol (which contains paracetamol), and the development of autism, during pregnancy.
• His statements are challenged by the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization, which say that paracetamol can be used in single women during pregnancy, with no new evidence to change this recommendation.

How much Paracetemol consumes Romanians

For all those who have used or not paracetamol, here are some general information:

– It was first synthesized 150 years ago, in the US, it is one of the oldest pharmaceutical products known in history;

– China and India manufacture 75% of the world's active substance production, about 115 thousand tonnes annually, this being the equivalent of about 11.5 billion boxes of 20 tablets, in the most popular dose of 500mg, the one we find in pharmacies;

-In June 2020, Emmanuel Macron announced his will to restore France's health sovereignty. Seqens has chosen to bring some of its paracetamol production in France and invest in innovation to develop a manufacturing process that is both competitive and friendly with the environment;

– in the US, 25 billion doses are consumed, this being the equivalent of about 1.2 billion boxes of 20 tablets;

– in the UK, 6,300 tons of paracetamol are consumed, this being the equivalent of about 0.6 billion boxes of 20 tablets;

– In Romania, about 400 million doses are consumed, this being the equivalent of about 20 million boxes of 20 tablets. The price is ridiculous, 3-5 lei per box. No mineral water in half you buy below 5-6 lei.

Where did he go from the discussion about Paracetamol?

Paracetamol is the abbreviation from para-acetythaminophenol, and acetaminophen is the abbreviation from N-acetyl-P-aminophenol.

The decrees in Romania have been using Paracetamol since, it was called acetaminophen in the old days, we remember those plastic sheets through which the white tablets were seen. They manufacture them Sicomed or antibiotics, I don't remember exactly which, but surely someone remembers.

Where did he go from the discussion about Paracetamol? Probably from a study published in 2019, which used biomarkers in umbilical blood and indicated an association of acetaminophen's presence in umbilical blood at increased risk and autism. The study was observational, with insufficient power to establish or abolish a causality.

Or, more likely, more recently, from a study published on August 14, 2025, which analyzed the results of 46 studies on the possible connection between the prenatal use of paracetamol and the neural development disorders, including autism and ADHD. Of the 46 studies that were analyzed, 27 indicated an association, 9 showed the absence of the association and 4 indicated a protective effect of paracetamol.

The analysis supports an association between prenatal exposure to paracetamol and the increased incidence of neuronal developmental disorders. A possible association, not safe. No causality.

But the study with the most relevant conclusions, with quality design, was published in 2024. The work shows that there is no association between prenatal paracetamol and the risk of ADHD, autism or cognitive impairment.

So that the use of paracetamol in pregnancy-when there is no therapeutic alternative-is still supported by guides and medical associations, including, for example, by the Association of Obstetrician doctors and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

At the end, a warning that became a cliché, which is why no one takes into account. It is not paracetamol or any other drug are dangerous, but their use without the indication of the doctor or pharmacist. Today, in the digital era, instead of asking the indication of the doctor or pharmacist, we consult Dr. Google, Conf. Dr. Yahoo and Prof. Dr. Artificial Intelligence. And that's not good, it's not good at all.

This article was initially published on contributors.ro.