Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LOS ANGELES -- Some teens are drinking hand sanitizer and ending up with alcohol poisoning, according to public health officials.
Most hand sanitizers have 65 percent Ethyl Alcohol and some teenagers use salt to separate the alcohol from the sanitizer, making a potent drink that is similar to a shot of hard liquor; about 50 percent more potent than vodka or tequila.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
"A person who has never had alcohol before can get drunk instantaneously. It is very, very dangerous," said Dr. Calvin Lowe, of Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
There have been 16 cases of alcohol poisoning in Los Angeles and public health officials think the practice could easily become a larger problem.
Teens have gotten drunk off mouthwash, cough syrup, even vanilla extract now they've moved to hand sanitizer which is inexpensive and accessible, and teenagers can find distillation instructions on the Internet.
Contributing: Nkoyo Iyamba
