Intoxication of a Prison Inmate with an Ethyl Alcohol–Based Hand Sanitizer

To the Editor: The Maryland Poison Center was called about a 49-year-old, usually calm prison inmate who was described as being “red-eyed,” “loony,” “combative,” and “intoxicated, lecturing everyone about life.” Other inmates and staff reported seeing this prisoner drinking from a gallon container of Purell hand sanitizer over the course of the evening. It was discovered that this sanitizer contains 62% ethanol by weight (more than 70% alcohol by volume). The inmate's blood alcohol level was found to be 335 mg per deciliter. It was later confirmed that he had not consumed any other forms of ethanol or other illicit . . .