Tylenol Ban Widens After 2nd Tainted Jar Is Found

More states banned sales of Tylenol capsules today after a second tainted bottle was confirmed, and police found an extortion letter demanding $2 million but said it did not appear to be directly related to the one death blamed on poisoned capsules.

The cyanide in both bottles was chemically identical, indicating it came from a single source, Dr. Frank Young, commissioner of the federal Food and Drug Administration, said today.

The government and the maker of Tylenol warned consumers nationwide to avoid capsules of the painkiller.

The second bottle came from the shelves of a Woolworth’s store in the New York City suburb of Bronxville, about two blocks from an A&P; Food Store that was the source of tainted capsules taken by Diane Elsroth, 23, who died last weekend, authorities said. (Story on Page 18.)

The second bottle apparently was manufactured at a different plant than the first. But James Gutman, a spokesman for Johnson & Johnson, said today it was not known if the two bottles were ever stored in the same place.

As of today, eight states--New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, Indiana, Rhode Island, California and Illinois--had banned the sale of Tylenol capsules, and Wisconsin officials said they would issue an order later.

Health officials in Colorado, North Carolina, Kansas and Georgia asked retailers to remove Tylenol capsules from shelves. And Connecticut officials sought a court order banning sale of the capsules.

Police said today they had found an extortion letter--apparently bogus--that claimed responsibility for Elsroth’s death, demanded $2 million and suggested there might be further tamperings.

The letter was found Thursday during the arrests in suburban New Rochelle of three people on credit card fraud charges. “At this time we don’t think it’s related, but it’s not been ruled out completely,” said Bronxville Police Chief Carl Steinmuller, who said he also received a copy of the letter in the mail.

The warnings to consumers, issued by the federal Food and Drug Administration and Johnson & Johnson, extend to all Tylenol capsules, including both Regular and Extra-Strength Tylenol, which Elsroth had taken. Tylenol in other forms was not affected by the warnings.

Young said the poisoning “still appears to be a local occurrence in the greater New York area.”