What is hand sanitizer?
Hand sanitizer, such as Purell and Bath & Body Works are
products for cleaning your hands when you don’t have soap and water. They kill
germs, like viruses and bacteria, help to prevent the spread of colds and flu.
Some brands of hand sanitizer use a form of alcohol to kill germs, while others
use different chemicals. Young children
sometimes swallow hand sanitizer by getting into the bottle or licking it off
their hands. Many of the new products come in different scents that are
appealing to small children to try to taste because of the smell. Some people,
especially teens, drink hand sanitizer on purpose for the alcohol. They can
often find the instructions online for “distilling” the alcohol.
Dangers of hand sanitizers
If used correctly hand sanitizers are a safe method for
preventing the spread of germs. Someone who swallows a lot of hand sanitizer
with alcohol in it may show signs of being drunk, have trouble walking and
talking. However, hand sanitizer taste bad and irritates the mouth, which keeps
most people from drinking a harmful amount. Getting hand sanitizer in your eyes
can also be painful.
What to do if someone may be poisoned by hand sanitizer
Call your local Poison Control Center if you have questions
about hand sanitizer, whether someone has swallowed some, splashed in the eyes
with, or if you just want information, 1-800-222-1222
If someone has swallowed hand sanitizer, we can help you
figure out how much the person drank, what symptoms you may see and how to
treat them. If someone gets hand sanitizer in their eyes, we will help your
figure out if they need to flush their eyes and can tell you how to do it the
right away.
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Use alcohol-free sanitizer when you can
·
Keep hand sanitizer out of reach of children
·
Keep hand sanitizer in the original container
·
Keep an eye on children when they use hand
sanitizer
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