Nationwide Law Firm Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Comments on Growing FDA Recall of “Toxic” Hand Sanitizers
During the coronavirus pandemic — and since the SARS outbreak in 2003 — people have been strongly urged, and in some settings mandated, to use hand sanitizers to help limit the community spread of viruses. Indeed, hand sanitizing stations have become basic staples throughout hospitals, shopping malls, airports, corporate buildings, and the list goes on.
However, a growing number of hand sanitizer brands are now being recalled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), because they contain an ingredient that could be harmful and potentially even fatal: methanol.
The Dangers of Methanol
“Methanol, which is also known as wood alcohol, can be toxic when exposure is through skin contact,” commented a spokesperson from the Consumer Protection Litigation Group at nationwide law firm Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP. “If methanol is ingested — which some people are doing either because they mistakenly believe it will help them thwart COVID-19 or they believe it will have an intoxicating effect like liquor — then the symptoms can be very severe, and include eye damage or blindness, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system, and in some cases death. For example, there is the extremely tragic situation in Iran, where methanol poisoning in March and April triggered by fears of COVID-19 led to more than 700 fatalities.”
The global hand sanitizer market has grown rapidly in the last few years, and currently the U.S. is the largest market for hand hygiene products. Research has found that 77 percent of the U.S. population — or about 3 out of every 4 people — use hand sanitizer, and this proportion is likely to be higher now as the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold and public health awareness increases.
“Old fashioned hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is still the best way to maintain hand hygiene,” commented a spokesperson from the Consumer Protection Litigation Group at Faruqi & Faruqi. “However, many people cannot easily or practically wash their hands this way, for example, after coughing, blowing their nose, touching items in a grocery store, and so on. In such cases, hand sanitizers are the next-best option — provided that they contain at least 60 percent ethanol, which is a clear and colorless alcohol made from a variety of biomass materials such as corn, sorghum, barley, sugar cane, and sugar beets. Unfortunately and unlawfully, some hand sanitizer manufacturers are claiming to use ethanol, when in fact they are using methanol.”
Anyone using a hand sanitizer brand that has been recalled by the FDA, or that the FDA has recommended to be recalled, should immediately stop using these products and closely monitor for symptoms. If they experience any of the conditions noted by Faruqi Law such as nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, or neurological impairment, then they should immediately contact their local health authority for guidance. They are also encouraged to fill out a MedWatch online voluntary reporting form.
“Consumers are also warned that it is not permissible for brands to claim that hand sanitizers provide protection against COVID-19, or that they provide prolonged safeguards such as 24-hour protection,” commented a spokesperson from the Consumer Protection Litigation Group at Faruqi & Faruqi. “It is also important to remember that any product marketed as FDA-approved is making a false claim. The FDA does not approve or endorse any brand of hand sanitizer.”
