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Pick Your Poison: Swine Flu or Hand Sanitizer

Recent H1N1-inspired flood of alcohol-based products into schools are also flammable

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 14, 2009 12:52 PM CDT

(Newser) – Schools are loading up on hand sanitizer in an effort to fight swine flu—but the alcohol-based panacea has problems of its own, the Chicago Tribune reports. Bottles and dispensers of the stuff are ubiquitous in classrooms, and officials have belatedly realized the dangers of its 65% alcohol content. “If there's an ignition source, it could catch on fire,” a fire official says.

Explosive alcohol paranoia caused a Florida county to ban hand sanitizer before swine flu paranoia forced reconsideration. Meanwhile, alcoholics, prison inmates, and even a Texas teen have attempted to exploit the sanitizer’s intoxicating possibilities; the teen tried to sniff it. If students are “monitored and they're taught how to use it,” a school nurse says, “the benefit far outweighs the risk.”

Hand sanitizer dispensers are becoming ubiquitous, from kindergarten to college.
Hand sanitizer dispensers are becoming ubiquitous, from kindergarten to college.   (AP Photo)
Graduates have fun with hand sanitizer.
Graduates have fun with hand sanitizer.   (AP Photo)
Hand sanitizer for sale.
Hand sanitizer for sale.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
usualsuspects
Sep 15, 2009 12:48 PM CDT
Regardless, you're still just killing all the weak ones and allowing the strong to survive and breed. It's good for hospitals, where you really need to get rid of most of them, but having everyoneconstantly sanitizing is just hyping up their rate of evolution and resistance. Plus, I'm pretty sure viruses aren't alive until they're actually in someone, and thus can't really be wiped out by purell and all that.
fancygapva
Sep 14, 2009 10:13 AM CDT
worry worry worry.
usualsuspects
Sep 14, 2009 8:06 AM CDT
Uh. That sanitizer shit doesn't kill viruses, just bacteria. And thus, like the overuse of antibiotics, excessive use of hand sanitizer contributes to the creation of super bugs. While not protecting you from the swine flu VIRUS.

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