Distillery-Made Hand Sanitizers Causing Increase In Michigan Poison Control Center Calls

April 23, 2020 at 10:42 am

FLINT, Mich. (WNEM) — The war against COVID-19 has many asking what they can do to help.

Local distilleries have jumped into battle by turning their alcohol production into making hand sanitizers. But this has opened a whole new front for the Michigan Poison Control Center.

They ask everybody to double check the bottle especially for those who are at risk.

“Even though they are labeled hand sanitizers, sometimes impaired adults, vulnerable adults or elderly, mentally disabled individuals and kids could be at risk,” said Varun Vohra from Michigan Poison Control.

Distilleries are using federal regulations to create their sanitizer, but the issue is that the packaging may confuse consumers.

Some distilleries are using liquor bottles and beer cans for their sanitizers. And this has led to a surge in poison center calls nationwide.

“There has been a 33 percent increase nationwide for hand sanitizer exposures and it is predominately in children ages zero to five and with us we are seeing the same thing,” Vohra said.

And of course, there are plenty of people making their own cleaners and hand sanitizers. A procedure that poison centers are not recommending.

“Ideally, we would like people to avoid making their own things because of risk,” he said. “They have to make sure use the right percentage of ethel alcohol and isopropyl of about 70 percent to effectively sanitize surfaces and their hands.”

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