3 Die in New Mexico After Drinking Hand Sanitizer, Officials Say

[riversedge]

Source: nytimes





June 26, 2020 Updated 8:31 p.m. ET

Three people have died, three are in critical condition, and one is permanently blind after ingesting hand sanitizer that contained methanol, the New Mexico Department of Health announced Friday.
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A spokesman from the Health Department said the cases were related to alcoholism, noting that hand sanitizer is sometimes consumed for its high alcohol content.

The announcement came a week after the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers against buying nine sanitizer products manufactured in Mexico because they contain methanol, which can be toxic if absorbed through the skin or ingested.


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Hand sanitizer usually contains ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, Dr. Warrick said, but is toxic when it contains methanol..........................................

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/3-dead-drinking-hand-sanitizer.html

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I think sanitizers with methanol should be taken off the market.

[LeftInTX]

1. The sanitizers with methanol were yanked by the FDA.

I couldn't find the sanitizers that the FDA removed for sale anywhere. Were they put in generic sanitizers? Did the three in New Mexico obtain the products from Mexico.

Anyway, hand sanitizers with methanol are not allowed for sale in the US.

[bringthePaine]

2. straight-up proof that insufferable stupidity opens wide the door to easily preventable tragedy

[LisaL]

3. Sanitizers with methanol are not being made by companies in the US.

Some were made in Mexico. They could be dangerous even if used as sanitizers.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. Absolutely Right!

I've been to the plants that make the 2 biggest brands.
Those people would get nervous if a truck of methanol drove down the road past the plant!
No US company would use methanol.
In addition, the formulas are FDA & EPA registered. (Health claim)
It would be illegal to use anything other than what is the registered formula.
And, someone like me would tell by odor is something was methanol, instead of ethanol or isopropanol.
They'd get caught cheating. And, that means jail time, not just a fine.

[milestogo]

4. I thought we were supposed to drink Chlorox, not hand sanitizer.

Its so confusing.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. It's really important to know that these cases were related to alcoholism.

Not drinking the hand sanitizer thinking it will protect against Covid-19.

[Hekate]

6. Yes. My thought was that is one helluva desperate addiction.

[forgotmylogin]

11. I remember that Family Ties episode with Tom Hanks drinking vanilla extract! n/t

[Sapient Donkey]

12. My younger brother was in rehab a long time ago, and he got caught drinking vanilla extract.

We can all laugh at that now, but back then it was disheartening to hear how much he was struggling.

[forgotmylogin]

13. I'm sorry to hear that - I apologize for making light of it.

[Sapient Donkey]

14. No need to be sorry for me. I didn't think you were making light of it.

That's something I wouldn't have thought was a real thing before that happened.

[LTG]

7. Getting drunk on hand sanitizer by high schoolers

Drinking hand sanitizer by high schoolers around 2010-2015 or so. Don’t know if it continues, but was a real problem. It was an alcoholic product that could be carried around in your backpack with no one even noticing. It’s a minimum of 140 proof.

[Princess Turandot]

8. The NYSDOH forwarded an FDA warning about hand sanitizers being made by a specific Mexican company..

several days ago because they used methanol aka wood alcohol. It can be absorbed through the skin and cause problems that way as well. The company is called Eskbiochem SA de CV. If you buy hand sanitizers, you might want to double check the bottles.

From the FDA:

[6/19/2020] FDA advises consumers not to use any hand sanitizer manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV in Mexico, due to the potential presence of methanol (wood alcohol), a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested. FDA has identified the following products manufactured by Eskbiochem:

All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01)
Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)
Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)
The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)
Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)

FDA tested samples of Lavar Gel and CleanCare No Germ. Lavar Gel contains 81 percent (v/v) methanol and no ethyl alcohol, and CleanCare No Germ contains 28 percent (v/v) methanol. Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitizers and should not be used due to its toxic effects.

Consumers who have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol should seek immediate treatment, which is critical for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning. Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death. Although all persons using these products on their hands are at risk, young children who accidently ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute, are most at risk for methanol poisoning.

[displacedtexan]

9. My latest little bottle of GermX smells like whisky or bourbon.

I really don't want to go to Safeway smelling like booze. So I've been using rubbing alcohol & hand lotion.
I wonder if the news about hand sanitizer being made by distilleries has inspired people to drink it.

[dreamland]

10. Once again, they are much more clever than anyone else.

Ignoring facts and warning labels, could be tRumpers.