I'm Rachelle Grossman with today's health news.
Is hand sanitizer toxic?
In the hands of a child, maybe so.
According to a recent analysis from the Georgia Poison Center, a rapidly increasing number
of US children are accidentally ingesting it.
The problem is that hand sanitizer typically contains between 45 and 95-percent alcohol.
By comparison, wine and beer contain only 12 and 5-percent.
CNN reports that since 2010, there's been a 400-percent increase in calls to poison
control related to kids under 12 ingesting hand sanitizer.
Experts say drinking even a small amount — two or three squirts — can cause alcohol poisoning.
Signs of alcohol poisoning are confusion, vomiting, drowsiness and even death.
Doctors says there's an increasing need for parents and teachers to keep an eye out for
kids who may be at risk of ingesting hand sanitzer.
While younger kids may do so accidentally, older kids may try it deliberately.