BY AIDA SETIAN

The level of incompetence that teens have is immeasurable in regards to the latest daredevil fad that has been circulating- drinking hand sanitizer to “get drunk.” Hand sanitizer has around 62% alcohol content, so it is particularly poisonous not to mention absurd to consume. The Los Angeles Times has reported about 6 teenagers who were admitted to hospitals and were found to have had alcohol poisoning as well as 60 reports of California teens who drank hand sanitizer recorded by the California Poison Control System since 2010.

It is despicable to hear about the lengths that teens would go through to consume alcohol. Of all things, HAND sanitizer is designed to be applied to the hands as a topical cleansing treatment, and in no circumstance should be swallowed. Los Angeles Times states that even just a few drinks can result in slurred speech and create a burning in the stomach that it would be sufficient to be under close monitoring in the emergency room. This is where common sense and prioritizing amongst adolescents has seen a complete loss in consideration which is sad but true fact of the modern teenager. No excuse can justify these irresponsible actions. True, they are teenagers and are subject to make mistakes. Exactly. They are teenagers, not zoo animals and therefore should be able to differentiate between easily discernible dangers. The fact that they are aware of stupidity in their actions makes it all the more worse and says a lot about the teenage generation and the effect they give out. Leave it to teenagers to sit around and devise sneaky plans about how to get forbidden items that are potentially life threatening when handled in irresponsible ways.

It is now advised that parents keep a close watch on hand sanitizer just as they might with any other products that could potentially serve as a means of consuming alcohol. According to the Times, another possible precaution would be to use the foam sanitizers instead of the gel, since it would be less likely that teens would end up ingesting it. Personally, I would not be surprised if they used it as a topping on their ice cream. I say this because the level of distrust that teens continue to establish for themselves is despicable and tragic. One mistake could potentially swell itself into an even larger one, possibly costing them lives