(Relaxnews)—The decision came after the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) and 57 local US poison centers wrote a letter to the retailer asking the company to halt production of the products, arguing that they make light of the seriousness of prescription medication. The products are covered with prescription labels and instructions such as: “RX#: VRY-CAF-N8D. Drink one mug by mouth, repeat until awake and alert.”

The letter, written by AAPCC president Marsha Ford and executive director Debbie Carr, stated that in 2011, local poison centers managed nearly 210,000 cases of exposures to painkillers where the drugs were either misused or abused, either on purpose or unintentionally.


The AAPCC has commended Urban Outfitters for considering the safety of their customers, especially since youth and adolescents, a primary demographic of the brand’s products, could be especially vulnerable to prescription drug use.