We all know the saying…too much of a good thing can get you fat, sick, or even addicted. But when was the last time you heard that too much Bengay can get you killed?

Seventeen year-old Arielle Newman, a track star at Notre Dame Academy on Staten Island, died April 3rd from then unknown causes. Last Friday, a medical examiner announced that Newman’s death was due to an over-absorption of methyl salicylate, a chemical found in anti-inflammatory muscle creams.

“In addition to spreading the muscle cream on her legs between track meets, Newman was using adhesive pads containing the anti-inflammatory, plus an unspecified third product containing the chemical” said a spokeswoman for Newman’s medical examiner. The spokeswoman went on to say that the teen’s death was caused by absorption over time, not a single instance. Read More »