Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Bex Powders

A compound analgesic that comprised aspirin, phenacetin and caffeine produced from the 1920s by Beckers Pty Ltd. All APC compounds were banned in 1977 after the discovery of its harmful effects.

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Bex Powders

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2016
Bex Powders, or Bex APC, were over-the-counter painkillers developed by Beckers Pty Ltd in Adelaide in the 1930s and manufactured in Sydney from the 1960s. Although there were a number of similar products on the market Bex Powders were so popular the brand became a cultural icon. The powders, which were often overused, were found to cause cancer and kidney failure and were banned in the 1970s.