Avoid Methanol Hand Sanitizers, Ohio Department Of Health Says

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohioans are being warned to avoid hand sanitizers that contain unlisted methanol as an ingredient.

The Ohio Department of Health issued a warning to consumers about unlisted methanol in hand sanitizers. The department said methanol is a toxic alcohol that can cause poisoning when absorbed through the skin, and blindness or death if swallowed.

"Most commercially available alcohol-based hand sanitizers or rubs contain either ethanol or isopropanol as active ingredients. Methanol (or wood alcohol) is not an acceptable active ingredient," the department said in a statement.

The FDA said there has been a sharp increase in hand sanitizer products that have tested positive for methanol contamination.

While repeated use of methanol-sanitizers can cause poisoning, people who swallow the products are at the highest risk, particularly young children. Adolescents and adults who swallow the product intentionally as an alcohol substitute also face danger.

"The effects of methanol and ethanol poisoning are similar — headache, blurred vision or blindness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of coordination, decreased alertness — but methanol poisoning may result in severe buildup of acid in the body or death," the department said.

The FDA suspects methanol may be present in 17 products manufactured by the following companies:

• Eskbiochem SA de CV,
• AAA Cosmetica,
• Grupo Insoma,
• S.A.P.I. de CV,
• Soluciones Cosmeticas SA de CV,
• Transliquid Technologies, and
• Tropicosmeticos SA de CV

The FDA is working on voluntary recalls of affected products. A list of impacted products can be found on the FDA's website.

The Ohio Department of Health offered the following recommendations:

• Check their hand sanitizer against products on the list. If a product is on the list, stop using it and dispose of it in appropriate hazardous waste containers. Do not flush it or pour it down the drain.
• Seek immediate medical attention and call the National Poison Control Center Hotline (1-800-222-1222) if they have swallowed hand sanitizer or are experiencing symptoms from repeated use of one of the listed products. Symptoms include headache, blurred vision or blindness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of coordination, and decreased alertness.
• NEVER swallow ANY hand sanitizer and use it only for its intended purpose — to clean hands.
• Keep alcohol-based hand sanitizers out of the reach of children and supervise use.