Teens using hand sanitizers to get drunk
By Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times
Six teenagers have shown up in two San Fernando Valley emergency rooms in the last few months with alcohol poisoning after drinking hand sanitizer, worrying public health officials who say the cases could signal a dangerous trend.
Some of the teenagers used salt to separate the alcohol from the sanitizer, making a potent drink that is similar to a shot of hard liquor.
“All it takes is just a few swallows and you have a drunk teenager,” said Cyrus Rangan, director of the toxicology bureau for the county public health department and a medical toxicology consultant for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “There is no question that it is dangerous.”
Although there have been only a handful of cases, Rangan said the practice could easily become a larger problem. Bottles of hand sanitizer are inexpensive and accessible, and teenagers can find distillation instructions on the Internet.
“It is kind of scary that they go to that extent to get a shot of essentially hard liquor,” Rangan said.
In addition to the teenagers who intentionally drank the sanitizer, younger children also have accidentally ingested it in the past.
yes it is kind of scary and some people are just stupid – and even more so when young. It’s hard to beleive it has become so difficult for minors to get their hands on alcoholic beverages that it’s worth poisoning yourself – there must be an element of wanting to “outwit the system” in it, just like with glue sniffing in earlier generations. It’s also hard to believe such kids have relationships with functional parents.
There’s nothing anyone can do because people are going to do whatever to change the brain chemicals to feel high.
Glue,paint thinner,gasoline,comet,most household cleaners,etc.
The world has educated millions of people on many things,nothing can take effect if the person at the water hole won’t drink the advice.
Some people will never stop ,most see the light grow up become some what good people that worship life and their bodies experience the true meaning, become creative both in mind and soul..
People are their own worst enemies.