Warning! Counterfeit hand sanitisers being sold on the market
The Ministry of Health has issued a warning for residents of the British Virgin Islands to beware of counterfeit hand sanitisers that could be fatal to users.
A late-night media release from the ministry on Monday, September 7 said these fake sanitisers are being “sold on the market”.
Residents are, therefore, advised to look out for these fake hand sanitisers whose active ingredients include a toxic gel called methanol/methyl alcohol and 1-propanol/propyl alcohol.
“Methanol, methyl alcohol or wood alcohol is used to make rocket fuel and antifreeze. The use of methanol can cause methanol poisoning and should never be applied to the skin as a rub or ingested,” the ministry warned.
It added: “Using hand sanitisers that contain methanol can cause serious health problems such as poor or no coordination, vomiting, abdominal pain, and decreased vision that may start as early as 12 hours after exposure. Usage can also cause long term effects such as blindness, kidney failure and death.”
The media release informed the public that 1-Propanol or 1-propyl alcohol is used to make industrial solvents and can be toxic if swallowed.
“Using hand sanitisers made with 1-propanol can cause skin or eye irritation, decreased breathing and heart rate, and may lead to death,” it stated.
Four methanol-related deaths have been reported by the Food & Drug Administration in the United States.
As such, residents should not “taste their hands or drink any hand sanitiser in place of alcoholic drink”. Supervision of young children is also being encouraged.
Please buy these instead
The ministry further encouraged residents to purchase hand sanitisers with containing 60 percent or more Ethyl alcohol or Isopropyl alcohol.
“The public is also reminded that the hands should be allowed to air dry after applying the hand sanitiser and not wiped dry as this renders the hand sanitiser ineffective and that hand sanitiser should be used only when hand washing is not possible, and that hands should be washed for a minimum of 20 seconds,” it stated.
The Ministry of Health is also warning against using hand sanitisers on pets as it can also lead to alcohol poisoning, serious health complications or even death.
“Animal owners are asked to contact their veterinarian immediately if their pet has been exposed to hand sanitisers,” it added.
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Could you please identified the brand of this hand sanitaiser
Lorenz: Learn the ingredients and buy not any product with thise ingredients. Not all that dif. to do.
Whomever is selling this garbage should be arrested and placed in jail. They are jeopardizing the lives of people for the sake of the almighty dollar. Only problem the ones selling the crap is the relatives of the government.
Public health needs to stop by the bakery in the east they putting water in the sanitisers this not good you want to make money but at what cost.
I will be wearing latex gloves from now on
Poor mankind. Greed, greed, money greed! Were it for greed of money many will have no reason to live.
So should they not alsowarn about all these drinks being offered that are made in houses on the sideof the road or mealsto reheat in your home that hold no ingredients list, no way to clarify who worked there and what was put in these things,food security laws need to be passed now to stop this
Humans are just DUMB! Sanitize, wear masks to hide from COVID but nobody is asking what damage certain sanitizers or masks are doing to people. 7 months in and here they come! Love seeing the sheep blindly following every bullshit they are told without thinking for themselves!
They are busy scandalizing the bars and clubs but nobody checking to see what is in the bottles at these store fronts. Some of them are using legit bottles but putting their own ingredients but the health dept doesnt have the energy for that part.
it is a business travesty to disallow bars to open during the day time. They, like other businesses have bills, fakily, children and many other. financial responsibilities to meet weekly.
Therefore,like all other businesses that are allowed to open, they to should have be included in that decision. Discrimination anywhere is discrimination every where. Live and let live. There are ways that bars can be open, maintain safe protocols and make a living.
Why suffer some while others eat? and sadly, the same ones making those types of decisions are the same ones purchaing their booze from supermarkets and weed from the man and going home, sitting in their closet and changing their mood, getting high and pissing drunk.
The same methods used to patrol the borders can be applied to all businesses, especially bars if there is concern about the lack of adherance to to protocols.
We can do better. We must do better. Government must make policies that do not affect a vital segment of the economy and many families and mouths, while favoring others.
A bar, believe it or not, despite the negative connotations the religious have attached to it, has significant value to the country, and just economic.
Ask the social scientist. Get factual information of the socio, psycho and emotional benefits of a bar, and it has a place in society. That is why the shoild be treated equally.
A man can find peace of mind, frienship and more more in a bar. Will he find them in a church? Not everyone will.
Thousands are and have been under severe emotional, psychological, financial and other serious stresses since March.
Those issues are being compounded upon by not allowing that human out let hundreds to thousands need to maintain some reasonable sense of sanity.
Be fair all government officials and legislators. Open up the bars. Most to all of you drink, and you know why you drink. Stop being slaves to the onsided don’t care bout nobody but their thithes religious class.
Open the bars. People are on the brink of mental break downs, bar owners and patrons alike.
If people would just take into play the necessary precautions needed to stop the spread of the virus and stop whining about businesses that are NON ESSENTIAL being closed, the Territory would be able to open up. What preventing people from going to Rite Way and buying a six pack or a bottle and going home and relaxing. I don’t see how some of these huts and watering holes got liquor licences. Eespecially these Meda Meda Joints.