LOS ANGELES — Doctors and authorities are warning parents after several teens in California became sick after guzzling down alcohol obtained from hand sanitizers.
According to doctors, six teens have shown up in two San Fernando Valley emergency rooms after drinking the potent drink, which doctors say is comparable in strength to a shot of 120-proof liquor.
Many of the teens suffered alcohol poisoning, raising concerns for parents.
“”So what’s gonna happen is that you’re gonna have some of those brain effects, but you’re also gonna have effects in your blood stream that make you nauseous, dizzy, and feel terrible. You’ll feel very good for a very short time and feel very bad for a long time,” said Dr. Mark Morocco of UCLA Emergency Medicine.
Hand sanitizers are cheap and widely produced, and teens can find distillation instructions easily on the internet. Authorities in California say that the teens used salt to separate the alcohol in the hand sanitizers.
