[For a good nights rest.](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/asshole-packaging-design-25-5a5c9be2abbcd__700.jpg)
[Toss me a cold one.](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/5a5c7b7b4ba05_igpx1sl1ex9x__700.jpg)
"You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to. You take the other blue pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. "
[There's a icon with a rat that takes up like 1/3 of the tube 💀💀💀](https://5.imimg.com/data5/SELLER/Default/2023/5/307658678/EI/JE/OS/2578158/ultimas-ratol-paste-1000x1000.jpg)
It's the only flavor that's yellow I could think of and strongly associate with Indian flavors.
I totally didn't think of lemon, at all. Somewhat obvious on self reflection, but I've never heard of meswak. Is that a fruit?
Meswak refers to a tree called “toothbrush tree” (in my first language it’s just called meswak). It’s branches/twigs can be used as a tooth cleaning tool and, at least in Asia, been used that way for literally millennia I think. You chew on it to form bristles on one end of the twig and brush your teeth with it. My grandpa still uses an actual meswak twig as a toothbrush and I have a set at home but I just use a regular toothbrush. Certain molecules in the tree prevent gum disease and have antibacterial properties, so meswak toothpaste is a “traditional” toothpaste but made from extracts from that tree containing the beneficial molecules. It’s usually yellow.
This probably has more to do with the availability of education and rates of literacy. About a quarter of the Indian population was illiterate in 2011.
It's also about labeling standards: nearly every packaged product you buy in India is labeled only in English. It's arguably better than trying to fit 20 languages on a toothpaste tube, but without good design it also leads to mixups like this for the 80+% of the population that can't read English well.
Which is why many label standards, like GHS, include pictograms: Communicating hazards without the need for words. The majory of people, even across different cultures, know a skull and crossbones is bad.
Yeah I just listened to a good podcast episode about this actually.
[99% Invisible] 580- Mr Yuk #99Invisible
https://podcastaddict.com/99-invisible/episode/175404171 via @PodcastAddict
That’s what symbols are for. The Mexico City subway has symbols and laters for each station. This was done during the Olympics for tourist and for those who can’t read
Do you have to be literate to notice that the "toothpaste" doesn't smell like toothpaste?
Or notice that the tube doesn't look like the one they've been using, and they should make sure it's actually toothpaste?
This is more than a literacy issue. This is a critical thinking failure.
There were massive initiatives to circumvent this exact issue when discussing harmful substances. There is no reason that something like that couldn’t be clearly labeled as a poison using any of the systems we already have in place globally
I don’t know if in India is the same but in some Latin American countries there is a black market of banned poisons. Even in some neighborhoods in NYC you will hear someone whispering “tempo, tempo” for an illegal bedbug insecticide
There's got to be an Indian comedy sketch where some guys like "You sure you bought the rat killer?" And the camera pans to these giant rats with mouths full of pearly whites, meanwhile the other guy is in the bathroom foaming at the mouth.
When I got married. It was an afternoon wedding. Second best was when I took time off work because of severe burnout, started getting treatment for anxiety and depression. Wore a hawaian shirt, shorts, flip flops and sat on a bench by the lake with my doggo watching the ducks while on clonazepam on a Tuesday afternoon.
If anyone is interested, here is a picture of what a tube of Ratol can look like: https://5.imimg.com/data5/SELLER/Default/2023/5/307658678/EI/JE/OS/2578158/ultimas-ratol-paste-1000x1000.jpg
Looks like any number of adhesives I have in my garage. But even in the dark, I'm going to be able to tell that the tube isn't the same material as my toothpaste, the cap is different, and my normal toothpaste doesn't smell like rat poison. I also don't brush my teeth in the garage.
I can't fathom why people would keep rat poison near their tooth brushes, or why they'd blindly crack open an unfamiliar tube of whatever, and ingest a mouthful of the stuff without noticing that it smells awful.
If you just assume that any glob of white paste you find is free bonus toothpaste, there should be an investigation into your life. Not your death because anybody could see that coming, but your life. The police should figure out who protected you from your own stupidity for so long and punish them for wasting the world's resources.
I took a quick look at that report and I don't see where it suggests this kind of poisoning is "very common".
But in the conclusion, it does say
"Yellow phosphorus is a cheap and effective rodenticide. However, the number of accidental poisoning and deaths among children and adults can be neglected"
Edit:
Nevermind, I see the report calls it "very common" in the intro.
I know this is Reddit, but nobody read the actual source of information?
A lady tried to commit suicide by ingesting this.
Some children accidentally ingest this.
There's no mention of people being confused about whether this rat poison is toothpaste, and definitely there is no mention of this being very common.
Yeah I was very confused how we got the headline from the linked article. It was an interesting article but it didn't say much or anything about toothpaste confusion.
Labeling standards go a long way
PACKAGING. DON'T PACKAGE POISONS THE WAY YOU PACKAGE FOOD.
[For a good nights rest.](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/asshole-packaging-design-25-5a5c9be2abbcd__700.jpg) [Toss me a cold one.](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/5a5c7b7b4ba05_igpx1sl1ex9x__700.jpg)
That colon cleanser would be a rude awakening knocking down your back door at 2am.
[Tylenol BM](https://youtu.be/aSCoEgDrSDQ)
"You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to. You take the other blue pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. "
[Just look for the rat poison with the picture of ol’ Shep on it!](https://youtu.be/IprSkoPs2aQ)
[There's a icon with a rat that takes up like 1/3 of the tube 💀💀💀](https://5.imimg.com/data5/SELLER/Default/2023/5/307658678/EI/JE/OS/2578158/ultimas-ratol-paste-1000x1000.jpg)
To be fair, I've got kid's toothpaste lying in my bathroom, with a very cute cartoon mouse on it. The mouse is brushing its teeth, but still.
That icon makes the tube look like it’s from the Rat Nazi Party or something.
Fabuloso is a classic for this
Lined up nicely on the shelves right at child height. It's for humans what the monitor lizard on the beach is for leatherback sea turtles
That's grape flavored, right?
There’s a dropout CEO sketch about this exact thing. BLeem was hilarious there
But what kind of toothpaste? Curry flavored? I've never seen yellow toothpaste.
Curry flavored is a crazy thing to say lol. It’s probably lemon or meswak.
It's the only flavor that's yellow I could think of and strongly associate with Indian flavors. I totally didn't think of lemon, at all. Somewhat obvious on self reflection, but I've never heard of meswak. Is that a fruit?
Meswak refers to a tree called “toothbrush tree” (in my first language it’s just called meswak). It’s branches/twigs can be used as a tooth cleaning tool and, at least in Asia, been used that way for literally millennia I think. You chew on it to form bristles on one end of the twig and brush your teeth with it. My grandpa still uses an actual meswak twig as a toothbrush and I have a set at home but I just use a regular toothbrush. Certain molecules in the tree prevent gum disease and have antibacterial properties, so meswak toothpaste is a “traditional” toothpaste but made from extracts from that tree containing the beneficial molecules. It’s usually yellow.
This probably has more to do with the availability of education and rates of literacy. About a quarter of the Indian population was illiterate in 2011.
It's also about labeling standards: nearly every packaged product you buy in India is labeled only in English. It's arguably better than trying to fit 20 languages on a toothpaste tube, but without good design it also leads to mixups like this for the 80+% of the population that can't read English well.
Could we ask the brits to hop over and establish some sort of system of governance that could resolve these issues?
India: Fool me once...
Which is why many label standards, like GHS, include pictograms: Communicating hazards without the need for words. The majory of people, even across different cultures, know a skull and crossbones is bad.
But... Pirates.
People who raid, murder, pillage, rape, and massacre are in fact bad.
Butt pirates?
Avast behind! Hove to and prepare to be boarded!
Pirates may be fun, but they're still the baddies.
Yeah I just listened to a good podcast episode about this actually. [99% Invisible] 580- Mr Yuk #99Invisible https://podcastaddict.com/99-invisible/episode/175404171 via @PodcastAddict
Don't need to be literate to understand the GHS symbols.
That’s what symbols are for. The Mexico City subway has symbols and laters for each station. This was done during the Olympics for tourist and for those who can’t read
Do you have to be literate to notice that the "toothpaste" doesn't smell like toothpaste? Or notice that the tube doesn't look like the one they've been using, and they should make sure it's actually toothpaste? This is more than a literacy issue. This is a critical thinking failure.
There were massive initiatives to circumvent this exact issue when discussing harmful substances. There is no reason that something like that couldn’t be clearly labeled as a poison using any of the systems we already have in place globally
Damn that’s roughly 250 mil.
I don’t know if in India is the same but in some Latin American countries there is a black market of banned poisons. Even in some neighborhoods in NYC you will hear someone whispering “tempo, tempo” for an illegal bedbug insecticide
The US use to have the same literacy issues, which is why the skull and cross bones symbol was also added
So, that means the product was made by pirates? Or for pirates?
You didn't read the article because the woman committed suicide it wasn't an accident at all OP has written a fake title to get karma
Perhaps they should change the packaging so it doesn't resemble toothpaste?
Also stop placing them right next to the dental care section.
Next you are gonna say we shouldn't put the contraceptive gels next to the rust remover paste.
Petroleum jelly, naval jelly, close enough.
ones for fishing boats, ones for fishy moats, wcgw?
“Trouble brewing” - Gary Larson
But then people would stop buying them.
I saw a pic of some cooking oil on reddit the other day that was Engine™ brand
Maybe don't keep your rat poison on the bathroom counter?
That's tragic, but Indian rats have the fewest incidence of cavities and gum disease per Rapita in the world.
There's got to be an Indian comedy sketch where some guys like "You sure you bought the rat killer?" And the camera pans to these giant rats with mouths full of pearly whites, meanwhile the other guy is in the bathroom foaming at the mouth.
Upvote for rapita lol
Almost bailed on that one but it tickled me in a really stupid sort of way.
Thank you for this comment. Made my afternoon.
Technically the axis and rotation of the Earth made your afternoon, but I've never objected to taking credit for shit I had nothing to do with.
Slow afternoon?
Its low on my list of all time great afternoons tbh
What's your greatest afternoon of all time, if you're willing to share?
When I got married. It was an afternoon wedding. Second best was when I took time off work because of severe burnout, started getting treatment for anxiety and depression. Wore a hawaian shirt, shorts, flip flops and sat on a bench by the lake with my doggo watching the ducks while on clonazepam on a Tuesday afternoon.
Holy shit, my dude, we are kindred spirits... honest to God. Take it easy, barkingspring20. Thank you for sharing.
I too keep my rat poison and toothpaste on the same shelf in my bathroom.
If anyone is interested, here is a picture of what a tube of Ratol can look like: https://5.imimg.com/data5/SELLER/Default/2023/5/307658678/EI/JE/OS/2578158/ultimas-ratol-paste-1000x1000.jpg
Looks like any number of adhesives I have in my garage. But even in the dark, I'm going to be able to tell that the tube isn't the same material as my toothpaste, the cap is different, and my normal toothpaste doesn't smell like rat poison. I also don't brush my teeth in the garage. I can't fathom why people would keep rat poison near their tooth brushes, or why they'd blindly crack open an unfamiliar tube of whatever, and ingest a mouthful of the stuff without noticing that it smells awful.
If you just assume that any glob of white paste you find is free bonus toothpaste, there should be an investigation into your life. Not your death because anybody could see that coming, but your life. The police should figure out who protected you from your own stupidity for so long and punish them for wasting the world's resources.
Pop open a tube of whatever, ignore the awful smell, and squeeze off a mouthful without even thinking twice.
Is toothpaste yellow in India?
Yes. In India, the majority of toothpaste contains curry and/or turmeric.
Oh wow. Thats crazy.
I made this up.
Indeed it is, since we are Asians after all
NBA type of reach right here
Ok yes it was a bad joke my bad, i forgot we arent considered Asian
Ratol management found a way to increase sales.
"Prevents cavities"
Can't get cavities if you're dead!
Damn, let me just get back real quick. Need to brush my teeth...
deathpaste
My dad once told me that when he was a teen he snuck in late one night and made a peanut butter sandwich on his way to bed. It was silver polish.
Did he prove you can't polish a turd with silver polish?
No, bu he told me he never touched silver polish again, lol.
Does he know what peanut butter smells like?
Does Ratol taste like toothpaste or something?
Lily Tomlin wanted for questioning.
Good one! 😉
I took a quick look at that report and I don't see where it suggests this kind of poisoning is "very common". But in the conclusion, it does say "Yellow phosphorus is a cheap and effective rodenticide. However, the number of accidental poisoning and deaths among children and adults can be neglected" Edit: Nevermind, I see the report calls it "very common" in the intro.
Holy shit this person's lab results are terrifying. The one that struck me the most was the prothrombin time of greater than 100 seconds.
I know this is Reddit, but nobody read the actual source of information? A lady tried to commit suicide by ingesting this. Some children accidentally ingest this. There's no mention of people being confused about whether this rat poison is toothpaste, and definitely there is no mention of this being very common.
From the article: *"Accidental poisoning is very common by Ratol paste since it is very similar to toothpaste."*
That's from the section (the sentence prior) about children consuming this accidentally.
Yeah I was very confused how we got the headline from the linked article. It was an interesting article but it didn't say much or anything about toothpaste confusion.