Kids Overdosing Trying to Get Drunk on Hand Sanitizer

[dannno]

Dangerous Trend: Teens Drinking Hand Sanitizer, Equivalent To 120 Proof Liquor
2,600 Cases Of Hand Sanitizer Overdoses Reported in CA Since 2010

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Talk about a recipe for disaster.

It appears that teenagers have found a way to extract and drink the alcohol in hand sanitizers, giving parents something else to worry about when dropping their kids off at school, CBS 2′s Dana Tyler reported.

Health officials at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles issued a warning Tuesday, saying hand sanitizer certainly can be dangerous. In the past few weeks, eight teenagers have visited local emergency rooms after distilling or drinking the gel, and 2,600 cases of hand sanitizer overdoses have been reported in California since 2010, Tyler reported.

“We should treat these hand sanitizers like we treat any medication in the home,” said Dr. Cyrus Rangan, director of the toxicology bureau for the county public health department and a medical toxicology consultant for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Liquid hand sanitizer contains 62 percent ethyl alcohol, which can make a shot of 120 proof liquor, Tyler reported.

Teenagers have come up with makeshift distilleries using salt to separate the alcohol from the sanitizer to come up with a potent drink — like a hard shot of liquor.

“They can get recipes from their friends or over the Internet, and if they don’t do that, some of them are just drinking it straight,” Rangan said.

Rowina Aquino has three teenagers and they use a lot of hand sanitizer, and now she is rethinking her family’s germ defense. “It is a lot of alcohol [and is] not going to be safe for my children,” Aquino said.

Mark Coleman and his son told Tyler they haven’t heard about getting drunk from hand sanitizer, but they aren’t surprised it’s happening. “They smell it and smells like their parents alcohol and they go for it. I’ve heard of one kid doing that to clean his mouth, but not to get high,” Coleman’s son told Tyler.

Medical experts say hand sanitizers should have warning labels on them in order to alert parents of the potential risks. (Comment from OP: Uhhhhhh.. ya, like kid's can't read?! Won't this lead to more kids abusing it?)

Also, if parents buy hand sanitizer, experts say they should purchase the foam version rather than the gel type because it is harder to extract the alcohol from the foam and teenagers may be less likely to drink it.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/04/24/dangerous-trend-teens-drinking-hand-sanitizer-to-get-drunk/

 

[CaptainAmerica]

wait for it wait for it ....wait for it.

FDA bans hand sanitizing solutions.

 

[John F Kennedy III]

wait for it wait for it ....wait for it.

FDA bans hand sanitizing solutions.

Congress declares that hand sanitizer is a vegetable.

 

[dannno]

Congress declares that hand sanitizer is a vegetable.

Except the raspberry flavored kind, which is a berry.

 

[Demigod]

They can also drink after-shave if they are so eager to wake up in the morning with a headache,pains in the back from bad sleeping and a breath like something has died in their mouth.

 

[John F Kennedy III]

They can also drink after-shave if they are so eager to wake up in the morning with a headache,pains in the back from bad sleeping and a breath like something has died in their mouth.

What ever happened to just drinking mouth wash?

 

[TheTexan]

“They can get recipes from their friends or over the Internet, and if they don’t do that, some of them are just drinking it straight,” Rangan said.

There is tons of dangerous information on the internet. There's a billion ways to get high, and before long there will probably be a website detailing each and every one of them. Should just ban kids from using the internet. Or make that site and become a billionaire. Shrug.

 

[QuickZ06]

ID please!

Why?

Hand Sanitizer.......

Merika.

 

[kcchiefs6465]

A lot has contributed to this "epidemic." To cite the main reason; they are fucking stupid. Laws will not save people from themselves. Not to sound harsh.

 

[JebSanderson]

Except the raspberry flavored kind, which is a berry.

Congress needs to ban those, obviously they use fruit flavors to entice children to buy their products.

Flavors Banned From Cigarettes to Deter Youths

 

[JebSanderson]

What ever happened to just drinking mouth wash?

Why buy mouthwash, our tapwater is already fluoridated! Heck, I've stopped brushing my teeth altogether.

 

[Sola_Fide]

Whatever happened to the good ol days where you paid your older brothers to buy you some beers? I mean...hand sanitizer? That's nuts.

 

[JebSanderson]

Whatever happened to the good ol days where you paid your older brothers to buy you some beers? I mean...hand sanitizer? That's nuts.

Drinking age for beer should be lowered to 16 like it is in Germany. 21 is f'ing ridiculous.

 

[Kotin]

We better regulate the Internet, hand sanitizer, hands, children... Am I missing anything?

 

[JebSanderson]

We better regulate the Internet, hand sanitizer, hands, children... Am I missing anything?

Air.

 

[QuickZ06]

Drinking age for beer should be lowered to 16 like it is in Germany. 21 is f'ing ridiculous.

You can die for your country at 18 and even join at 17.....but heavens forbid you have a few cold ones.

 

[Marenco]

We aren't too far off.

 

[JebSanderson]

You can die for your country at 18 and even join at 17.....but heavens forbid you have a few cold ones.

Beer = immoral

Killing brown people = patriotic

 

[The Other Andy]

Hand sanitizer? These must be the dumbest kids around. If they're stupid enough that they can't get alcohol (or, you know, not drink) then let'em drink sanitizer. Good riddance.

 

[QuickZ06]

Beer = immoral

Killing brown people = patriotic

See, now you're a true Patriot!

Ironically the Marines started in a tavern.