The Dangers of Using Alcohol Hand Sanitizers and the Importance of Proper Use and Supervision.

By: Richard Rich

The CDC recommends washing your hands with soap and water whenever possible because hand washing reduces the number of Germs and Chemicals on your hands. But if soap and water is not available using a alcohol sanitizer with at least 61% alcohol can help you avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.

The CDC also stated that alcohol sanitizers are not as effective if the hands are visibly dirty or greasy. This can happen after eating food, playing sports “recess”, working in the garden, or camping and fishing. In these cases, it is best to wash your hands with soap and water.

If you watch parents sending their children to school a lot of the parents are putting small 2oz sanitizers in their back packs or attaching them to their back packs. This is great if the child understands the dangers of the Alcohol Sanitizers and the correct method of usage.

My personal view or I could say opinion is to take the time to teach the child how to properly use alcohol sanitizers and the dangers it can cause to them and their friends if missed used.

After COVID, retail stores had Alcohol Hand Sanitizers all over their store shelves, you must pay attention to where this product was produced. It was found that sanitizers were coming in from all over the world some using Methanol “Wood Alcohol” as an ingredient which can make a child deathly sick and others stating on the label that there was more than 61% alcohol when there was not even close to that amount. Less then 61% does not kill Germs.  In March of 2021 a contaminant called Benzene was found in several hand sanitizers which can cause Leukemia.

As of March 1st, it is illegal for a retailer to sell an alcohol sanitizer in the United States without buying from a registered manufacture with the FDA. So, look at your sanitizers and if they are old, I would spend the extra couple of bucks and buy a new product that states ’Made in the USA.’

What really makes me mad is when I go to a retail store, and they are trying to sell brightly colored bottles of sanitizer with sparkles inside, smelling like candy to entice people to buy it for their adorable children. They know all along that the alcohol inside the colorful bottle is DENATURED ALCOHOL that is POISONED to make you sick if you drink it. A 61% alcohol content means that it is 122 Proof, TITO Vodka is only 81 % Proof.

If a child licks only a tiny amount off their hands of alcohol sanitizer they could be at risk of alcohol poisoning. Alcohol Poisoning can cause confusion, vomiting and drowsiness and in severe cases Respiratory arrest and death.

Schools should have alcohol sanitizers under a teacher supervision and not just sitting on some desk. I’m hearing that older kids are using it to get drunk not understanding the risks that they are taking.

So, in conclusion alcohol hand sanitizers kills Germs as long as your hands are clean, you only need to use a dime size amount and keep rubbing your hands together until dry. If you concern that a person has swallowed Sanitizer, call the Poison control (1 800-222-1222)