For over a century, Buckley's has been a household name in Canada, famous for its notoriously bad taste and effective relief. Its slogan, "It tastes awful. And it works," is iconic. So why do so many believe the product was banned? The truth is a nuanced story involving specific product recalls, ingredient regulations, and the difference between a temporary withdrawal and a permanent ban. No universal ban has ever occurred, but a series of isolated events created a misleading narrative.
The 2017 Choking Hazard Recall
In March 2017, the manufacturer of Buckley's, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Inc., in collaboration with Health Canada, issued a voluntary recall for several liquid cough syrup products. The recall was prompted by a manufacturing defect involving the plastic safety seal inside the bottle cap.
The Problem: The recall was initiated because the clear plastic seal, measuring approximately 1.7 cm in diameter, had the potential to detach and fall into the bottle. If swallowed accidentally, this piece of plastic presented a potential choking hazard, particularly for children.
The Affected Products:
- Buckley's Complete (150mL and 250mL)
- Buckley's Complete Mucus Relief (150mL and 250mL)
- Buckley's Cough & Chest Congestion (150mL and 250mL)
- Buckley's Cough Mucus & Phlegm (150mL and 250mL)
- Buckley's Original Mixture (100mL and 200mL)
- Buckley's Original Mixture Night Time (100mL)
The Resolution: The recall was a temporary removal of the specific product lots from store shelves. The manufacturer advised consumers not to drink directly from the bottle and to check for the seal when pouring the syrup. The issue was corrected, and the products were returned to the market after being deemed safe.
Voluntary Discontinuation of Buckley's DM
In 2016, a year before the more widely publicized recall, the company voluntarily stopped selling its Buckley's DM product in Canada. Buckley's DM contained dextromethorphan, a common cough suppressant. This was a business decision made by the manufacturer and was not a regulatory-mandated ban of the entire Buckley's brand. Other Buckley's formulas, including those containing dextromethorphan under different names, remained available.
A More Recent Safety Recall
In a more recent development in 2025, Health Canada and the company Novartis Consumer Health Canada issued a recall for several cough and cold products, including some Buckley's products, due to a different issue: faulty child-resistant caps. This voluntary recall ensures that the products are stored safely and out of reach of children. Like the 2017 event, this was a specific product recall, not a ban on the entire brand.
U.S. Market Restrictions: The Cyclamate Issue
Buckley's has never been sold in the United States in its original formulation, but this is a market restriction based on specific ingredient regulations, not a ban on the company itself. The original Canadian formula of Buckley's is sweetened with sodium cyclamate, an artificial sweetener. Following a study linking cyclamates to bladder cancer in rats, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sweetener in 1969.
The Impact: This regulation prevented the original Buckley's mixture from being imported and sold in the U.S.. To sell a product in the U.S. market, manufacturers must adhere to FDA guidelines. In response, Buckley's created a specific U.S. version of its cough medicine, which uses saccharin instead of cyclamate. This means that the product is not banned from the U.S. market, but the original formula cannot be sold there.
Comparison of Market Restrictions vs. Product Recalls
| Aspect | Product Recall | Market Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| Cause | A defect or safety issue with a specific product batch or a component, such as a seal or cap. | An ingredient or formulation that violates a regulatory body's rules for sale in a specific market. |
| Scope | Targets specific lots or versions of a product, potentially leading to a temporary removal until the issue is fixed. | Prevents a particular product formulation from being sold within a specific country or region, though a different version may be sold. |
| Action | A manufacturer, often in collaboration with regulators, voluntarily removes products from stores and may issue warnings to consumers. | The regulatory body (e.g., FDA) prohibits a product based on its ingredients, forcing the company to alter the formula for that market. |
| Buckley's Example | The 2017 choking hazard recall and the 2025 faulty cap recall are examples of product recalls. | The U.S. restriction on the Canadian formula due to cyclamate is a market restriction. |
Understanding Regulatory Actions
When a product is recalled, it typically means a temporary and isolated issue was identified and corrected. The product can and often does return to the market once the problem is resolved. In the case of Buckley's, both the 2017 seal issue and the 2025 cap issue were manufacturing defects that were addressed. A market restriction, conversely, is usually a permanent barrier related to a fundamental aspect of the product, such as its active ingredients or formulation. This distinction is key to understanding why Buckley's wasn't 'banned' but was subject to various regulatory challenges.
Conclusion
The perception that Buckley's was banned stems from a misunderstanding of several separate events over the years. The brand's products have faced specific recalls in Canada due to safety defects, and the original Canadian formula has been barred from sale in the U.S. because of its sweetener. These actions represent product-specific safety measures and market-specific ingredient regulations, not a brand-wide, universal ban. Consumers can still find Buckley's products on shelves in Canada and an alternative formulation in the U.S., which confirms the enduring presence of the product despite its past controversies.
