The poisonings called for immediate action to protect the consumer,” explained Johnson & Johnson’s Lawrence G. Foster, who was vice president of public relations at the time, “and there wasn’t the slightest hesitation about being completely open with the news media. For the same reasons, Johnson & Johnson decided to recall two batches of the product, and later to withdraw it nationally. During the crisis phase of the Tylenol tragedy, virtually every public relations decision was based on sound, socially responsible business principles, which is when public relations is most effective.”