I recently learned that one of my protoge's has been consumming mouthwash for its alcohol. That person claims that there are no side effects to mouthwash other than a laxative and the obvious intoxicant effect. The bottles' labels claim mouthwash is poison. What are the toxic effects of the other elements of mouthwash besides the two mentioned above?
dr S
I dont' know...I looked it up using WebMD, but couldn't find anything, I'm sorry.
guess it depends on the brand and ingredients. listerine contains
Cool Mint: Pullulan, Flavors, Menthol, Aspartame, Potassium Acesulfame, Copper Gluconate, Polysorbate 80, Carrageenan, Glyceryl Oleate, Eucalyptol, Methyl Salicylate, Thymol, Locust Bean Gum, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, FD&C Green No 3.
Cool Mint: Pullulan, Flavors, Menthol, Aspartame, Potassium Acesulfame, Copper Gluconate, Polysorbate 80, Carrageenan, Glyceryl Oleate, Eucalyptol, Methyl Salicylate, Thymol, Locust Bean Gum, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, FD&C Green No 3.
Anchorage has a problem with chronic inebriates and mouthwash isnt helping any.
Jessica Leather
Gene Kaplin likes to hang out in the park at Fourth Avenue and E Street. Hes in his late 50s and has a blond, graying beard that grazes the top buttons of his shirt. Kaplin favors soiled flannel layered over a T-shirt and ripped 501s. If you saw him on the street you might think he was one of Anchorages homeless, a chronic inebriate and youd be right. But theres a twist. "Listerine Gene" likes to get high on mouthwash.
Kaplin seems embarrassed by the "Listerine Gene" moniker. He prides himself on being a beer man, he says, with Natural Ice his brew of choice. But when the liquor stores and bars close or hes short on cash, mouthwash gets him through the night.
Why mouthwash? Consider this: Beer is typically between 3 and 6 percent alcohol by volume. Hard liquor contains around 40 percent. And amber-hued, antiseptic Listerine? Its 26.9 percent alcohol, or 54 proof. The mint variety is 21.6 percent alcohol.
At the Midtown Wal-Mart, a liter of Listerines generic cousin, antiseptic Equate, sells for $1.57. The 1.5 liter jug is $2.17. The cheapest bottle of vodka at the Gambell Street Oaken Keg is $10.
Mouthwash "gets you just as drunk," said a friend of Kaplins who wouldnt give his name. "You just get what you can afford."
It doesnt seem a likely problem. Anyone whos ever accidentally swallowed Scope in a morning gargle can attest to the throat burn, the gag reflex, the stomach churn. But if youre homeless and feeding a habit, its almost logical: you get five times the alcohol for less than half the price of what a liquor store dispenses, with less hassle. And when youre done, youre not just blotto you also have less chance of gingivitis. If you live.
For public inebriates, Anchorage Police officers run a code three which means they must break traffic laws to reach a citizen in distress four to eight times a day, says Captain Audie Holloway. He estimates that 40 percent of those calls are related to alcohol substitutes like mouthwash.
Its easy to tell when someones been drinking mouthwash, said Patrol Sergeant Gary Apperson the stench, especially if the person vomits, is horrendous, he said. "You can usually tell from 20 or 30 feet away what youre dealing with."
Alternative names Listerine
Definition This poisoning from an overdose of mouthwash.
Poisonous Ingredient Ethanol (drinking alcohol)
Symptoms
Body as a whole
Collapse
Convulsions
Excessive sweating
Excessive thirst
Listing from side to side
Decreased urine output
Slurred speech
Unable to walk in a normal manner
Low blood sugar
Respiratory
Deep breathing - may be rapid
Rapid breathing - may be shallow
Slowed respirations
Stopped breathing
Skin
Bluish skin (lips and fingernails)
Gastrointestinal
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea
Nausea and vomiting
Heart and blood vessels
Drop in blood pressure
Nervous system
Coma
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Home Treatment
Call Poison Control. Seek emergency medical care immediately.
Before Calling Emergency
Determine the following:
The patient's age, weight, and condition
The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
The time it was swallowed
The amount swallowed
Poison Control, or a local emergency number
See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Take the container with you to the emergency room.
What to expect at the emergency room
Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:
Use gastric lavage.
Administer activated charcoal.
Administer a laxative.
Establish and maintain airway.
Monitor blood alcohol levels.
Admit to the hospital or the intensive care unit.
Kidney dialysis
Expectations (prognosis)
If the patient survives the first 24 hours without any major problems, survival is very likely. Poisoning symptoms will be from ethyl alcohol, and not as likely from the other agents mentioned.
Update Date: 2/12/2004
Updated by: Cherlin Johnson, M.D., Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Definition This poisoning from an overdose of mouthwash.
Poisonous Ingredient Ethanol (drinking alcohol)
Symptoms
Body as a whole
Collapse
Convulsions
Excessive sweating
Excessive thirst
Listing from side to side
Decreased urine output
Slurred speech
Unable to walk in a normal manner
Low blood sugar
Respiratory
Deep breathing - may be rapid
Rapid breathing - may be shallow
Slowed respirations
Stopped breathing
Skin
Bluish skin (lips and fingernails)
Gastrointestinal
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea
Nausea and vomiting
Heart and blood vessels
Drop in blood pressure
Nervous system
Coma
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Home Treatment
Call Poison Control. Seek emergency medical care immediately.
Before Calling Emergency
Determine the following:
The patient's age, weight, and condition
The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
The time it was swallowed
The amount swallowed
Poison Control, or a local emergency number
See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Take the container with you to the emergency room.
What to expect at the emergency room
Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:
Use gastric lavage.
Administer activated charcoal.
Administer a laxative.
Establish and maintain airway.
Monitor blood alcohol levels.
Admit to the hospital or the intensive care unit.
Kidney dialysis
Expectations (prognosis)
If the patient survives the first 24 hours without any major problems, survival is very likely. Poisoning symptoms will be from ethyl alcohol, and not as likely from the other agents mentioned.
Update Date: 2/12/2004
Updated by: Cherlin Johnson, M.D., Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Thanks SeanMichael for the well written informative peices. It really makes one wonder why mouthwash is so easily obtainable.
june
june
not too many ppl know about mouthwash being able to get you drunk, that's why it's so easy. It says on most bottles that if ingested you shuld call a poison control center, which is probably why most people do not know of it, or ever bothered looking into it.
I have often seen street people swilling back mouthwash. Unfortunarely it is an affordable drunk for some