Six American Teenagers in Hospital after Drinking Alcohol from Hand Sanitiser

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Local doctors said the six cases were the first they had experienced.

Helen Arbogast, an injury prevention coordinator in the trauma programme at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles said: “Over the years, [teenagers] have ingested all sorts of things.

“Cough syrup had reached a very sexy point where young people were using it. We want to be sure this doesn’t take on the same trend.”

She suggested that parents buy the foam types of sanitiser as opposed to the liquid form as it can be harder to extract the alcohol from it.

Arbogast added that parents should monitor the liquid like any other liquor or medicine in their homes and watch for the warning signs of intoxication.

“When young people are actively and purposely ingesting it, that is when it becomes a real concern,” she said.

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