Hand Sanitizers Poisoning More Kids
What Adults Need to Know continued...
Alcohol can also cause a child’s blood sugar to drop rapidly, leading to seizures and coma.
Lopez says hand sanitizers are often included in the list of school supplies parents should send to school. He says many adults he’s talked to don’t realize that hand sanitizers contain so much alcohol, or they don’t realize that it’s the kind of alcohol that can cause intoxication.
“I wanted to get the word out. Parents should be aware. Teachers should be aware.”
Lopez sent a letter to the state superintendent and followed up with letters to the top 10 school systems in the state.
He says parents and teachers should keep hand sanitizers out of reach and allow kids to use them only with adult supervision. These products do "have a role in decreasing germs," he says.
If you’re going to send hand sanitizer to school, Lopez thinks it’s worth looking for brand that doesn’t contain alcohol, or sending a child with hand wipes instead.
If you think your child has eaten hand sanitizer, he recommends you call the American Association of Poison Control Centers for free advice: 1-800-222-1222.