Hand Sanitizer Becoming Teenage Party Drink of Choice
Six teens have recently appeared in two different Los Angeles emergency rooms in the past few months after they got alcohol poisoning from drinking distilled hand sanitizer. Public health officers are worried about the cases and fear a growing trend in the use of hand sanitizer to get drunk.
The teens are using innovative methods to distill the hand sanitizer. Adding salt will separate the alcohol and create a drink that is over 100 proof.
So far there have only been a few isolated occurrences of teens arriving in the emergency room after drinking hand sanitizer, but officials are worried that it could become part of a larger problem. Hand sanitizers are cheap and relatively easy for teens to access. The Internet has plenty of distillation instructions that be used to create a toxic brew.
There have also been instances of younger children ingesting hand sanitizer on accident. Hand sanitizer contains 62 percent alcohol and can be turned into liquor that is 120 proof. Only a couple drinks are needed to slur speech and cause people to stumble into an emergency room.
Physicians have stated that this is the latest trend in teenagers’ attempts to get drunk. In the past, teens have used vanilla extract, mouthwash and even cough syrup.
The recent emergency room visits have surprised local doctors. Last year, there were no reported cases of teens getting drunk off hand sanitizer. Parents are also cautioned about the sanitizers that they buy. Many are unaware that even tiny bottles have a lot of potent alcohol in them.
Parents are urged to purchase a foam sanitizer rather than the gel. The foam hand sanitizer’s alcohol is harder to extract, and teens are less likely to drink it.
Orlando, Florida levies serious punishment for underage drinking, and consulting a criminal defense attorney is essential. An experienced Orlando lawyer can prevent teenage pranks from turning into serious criminal charges.