With its rancid toothpaste taste and alcoholic burn, mouthwash lets you know that it means
business.
When it enters your mouth, it doesn't care about being your friend.
The stuff is essentially a pesticide for mouth cooties, and it kills germs so effectively
it might even kill the gonorrhea bacteria living in your throat.
LiveScience writes that as early as 1879, Listerine was touted as a "cure" for gonorrhea,
which can, in fact, cause a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes.
But while the killing ability of mouthwash makes it a useful way to rid your throat of
tainted love and stave off tooth decay, you might also wonder how toxic it would be if
you swallowed some after swishing?
The American Dental Association explains that there are two main types of mouthwash: therapeutic
and cosmetic.
Therapeutic mouthwash combats bad breath, cavities, gingivitis, and the plaque plaguing
your mouth.
Cosmetic mouthwash, meanwhile, masks your bad breath without attacking the root cause
of your future root canal.
Since both versions are mouthwashes, not mouth drinks, they contain substances that can damage
your internal organs.
Cosmetic mouthwash, for example, may contain peroxide, which you shouldn't drink.
Luckily, ADA-approved mouthwashes have been tested for safety, which means that swallowing
small quantities should not be deadly.
Crest warns that,
"Swallowing small amounts of mouthwash may leave you feeling a bit queasy or may even
cause diarrhea."
But after a while, those symptoms should pass.
However, to ensure that small kids don't have to endure that discomfort, children under
age 6 shouldn't use mouthwash, while kids from ages 6 to 12 should only use it with
adult supervision.
While mouthwash ingested in small doses doesn't warrant alarm, this stuff can and has killed
people.
According to a report by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, between 1984 and 1993, there
were three documented cases of children killed by mouthwash.
All were under 5 years old and died from the high concentrations of alcohol typical of
mouthwash.
Registered Dental Hygienist magazine notes that Listerine's original formula is 26.9
percent alcohol while other flavored mouthwashes may be 22 percent alcohol.
Scope is slightly lower at 18.9 percent, and Cepacol is 14 percent alcohol.
With alcohol concentrations that high, young children aren't the only people at risk of
alcohol poisoning.
In 2003 a 45-year-old man died after drinking nearly three liters of mouthwash.
According to Michael's House Treatment Centers, a quartet of toxic substances can be found
in most brands of mouthwash.
Even the ethanol in mouthwash isn't fit for consumption and can cause blood toxicity or
an overdose.
Methyl salicylate gives mouthwash its minty flavor but can give you, quote "rapid-onset
salicylate poisoning," which the Emergency Medicine Journal says is potentially lethal.
Another common ingredient is hydrogen peroxide, which can inflict gastrointestinal damage
that causes discomfort, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
Chlorhexidine gluconate can interfere with circulation, raises blood pressure, and harm
the heart.
It also kills the bacteria that suppress blood pressure spikes.
However, all those dangers haven't always stopped struggling alcoholics from using the
product for its alcoholic properties.
And mouthwash isn't the only example.
In Russia, lack of access to liquor has driven some people to ingest a bevy of non-beverages.
As reported by Time in 2016, at least 58 people died in Siberia from consuming a bath lotion
with a high concentration of alcohol.
An analysis found that up to 12 million Russians imbibed toxic substitutes for alcohol, including
window cleaner, anti-freeze, after shave, and perfume.
In Canada, struggling alcoholics have been known to consume hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol,
and hairspray, according to Vice.
In addition to the risk of poisoning, the consistency of some substances may make them
dangerously hard to swallow.
Hand sanitizer poses a choking hazard that killed at least one Canadian who had joined
a group devoted to kicking such deadly drinking habits.
Sadly, desperate times can drive people to deadly measures.
To put it simply: it is dangerous to drink mouthwash.
If you suspect that you or someone else may be at risk of mouthwash poisoning, contact
the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.