Trump’s Tylenol Claim Is Dangerous and Insulting to Autistic People
Reckless health myths aren’t just an American problem. When they spread, they hurt real people, including families here in Scotland.
The US President, never one to shy away from outlandish claims and conspiracy theories, has now suggested that Tylenol, or paracetamol, as it’s known here in Scotland, causes Autism.
It’s a reckless claim. And unfortunately, it matters more than some people might realise.
Paracetamol Is a Trusted Medicine Not a Threat
Here in Scotland, paracetamol is one of the safest and most widely used medicines in the NHS. Parents use it to bring down children’s fevers. It’s routinely prescribed after surgery. It sits in medicine cabinets across the country, relied upon for everything from headaches to toothaches.
To casually suggest that this everyday medicine is somehow the root cause of Autism is not just irresponsible, it’s dangerous. There is no robust evidence nor studies proving it. And yet, when someone with Trump’s reach says it, people listen.
Misinformation Travels Fast and Hits Hard
Trump’s words don’t stay in the United States. We live in a globally connected world, where social media spreads misinformation faster than facts. When Trump makes a claim, no matter how outrageous, it gets shared, liked, retweeted, and believed. Before long, Scottish families are seeing these claims on their newsfeeds and questioning what’s safe and what’s not. This isn’t harmless chatter. It can lead to hesitation around using trusted medicines, particularly in communities already facing health challenges.
Autism Is Not a Tragedy
The real harm here isn’t just about medicine. It’s about the way Autism is being portrayed.
By framing Autism as something that must have someone to blame, Trump is pushing a deeply harmful idea that Autistic people are broken, or damaged, or the result of some medical mistake.
As a mother of an Autistic child, I find that suggestion profoundly offensive.
My 10-year-old son is bright, curious, and uniquely brilliant. He processes the world differently than I do, and that difference is something I learn from every single day. He’s not defective. He’s not a warning sign. He’s a child, a person with his own strengths, personality and perspective. Autism does not make someone any less of a human being. It’s not a disease. It’s a form of human diversity.
To frame it otherwise is to increase the stigma and misunderstanding Autistic people already face.
Scotland Can't Afford This Nonsense
Here in Scotland, we already struggle with health inequality. In many of our poorest communities, people face worse outcomes, more illness, and fewer resources. The last thing we need is conspiracy-laden nonsense from across the Atlantic muddying the waters even more.
Our NHS is stretched. Families are under pressure. And now, they’re being asked to question the safety of basic medicines, all because of a man with no medical background and a long history of making outrageous claims for attention.
Acceptance And Respect
We can’t let this kind of misinformation take root here. Health leaders, ministers, and campaigners in Scotland need to speak up and quickly. We need clear messaging, grounded in science, that reassures people and protects trust in our public health systems.
But more importantly, we MUST protect the dignity of Autistic people.
They deserve better than to be used as a scare story. They deserve respect, understanding, and acceptance, not blame.
Trump may thrive on chaos, but we don’t have to let that chaos cross our borders. In Scotland, we can choose better, by standing up for science, defending public health, and rejecting the idea that Autism is something to be feared or explained away.
Let’s champion truth, protect our communities, and ensure every Autistic person is met with dignity, not disapproval.
[Suzanne Blackley is the ALBA Party Equalities Convener and sits on the Party's National Executive Committee]
