The Food and Drug Administration, in an attempt to stop people from drinking hand sanitizers, is urging manufacturers to make it “unpalatable.”
The number of companies registering to produce hand sanitizers is surging as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, according to Newsweek.
"It is important that hand sanitizer be manufactured in a way that makes them unpalatable to people, especially young children, and that they are appropriately labeled to discourage accidental or intentional ingestion," FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said Monday.
The FDA noted that the National Poison Data System has received 79% more calls related to hand sanitizer in March 2020 compared to the same time period last year.
And Dr. Robert Glatter of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City said: “It's imperative that parents understand the potential for alcohol poisoning associated with hand sanitizer, since it typically contains at least 60-70% alcohol. Children are at highest risk since they may think it is harmless to consume. Parents should never leave bottles of hand sanitizer in the vicinity of young children."
According to Newsweek, the majority of cases involved kids 5 years old and younger.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.