Botox linked to deaths in the US

Botox 'dangerous in high doses'

Botulinum toxin, the main ingredient in Botox, has been linked to the deaths of 16 people in the US between 1997 and 2006, reports consumer association Public Citizen. 

Botilinum toxin, which paralyses muscles in the face, is sometimes used in high doses for strictly medical purposes, to correct problems such as squints or muscular tics. 16 patients who were given high doses, inlcluding 4 children, are reported to have died after being given the drug. There is no immediate danger to people who have had Botox injections for cosmetic purposes (cosmetic doses are much weaker than medical doses), but the US Food and Drug Administration (the equivalent of the Department of Health) has issued a warning about the use of the toxin, whatever the dose. There are no plans to ban Botox, but certain patients are being closely monitored.