Sanitisers with methanol can blind, kill you – NAFDAC opens up

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) cautioned Nigerians against the use of certain hand sanitisers.

The warning is contained in a public alert titled “Recall of Hand Sanitizers by DiBAR Nutricional due to the presence of Methanol”.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director-General, said the agency received information from the US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) about the presence of methanol in some sanitisers.

FDA noted that Nutricional S,de R,L De C.V (Dibar) is recalling all Dibar Labs hand sanitisers, ProtectoRX hand sanitisers and Advance hand sanitisers due to concerns.

Methanol or wood alcohol is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested and can be life-threatening.

It can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.

Those at risk include persons who use affected sanitisers on their hands, young children who accidentally ingest the products, and adolescents and adults who drink the products as alcohol (ethanol) substitutes.

“Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitisers and must not be used due to its toxicity,” Adedeye reiterated.

The agency asked Nigerians experiencing the listed symptoms were urged to seek treatment for a potential reversal of toxic effects of poisoning.

NAFDAC implored importers, distributors, retailers and consumers to avoid the distribution, sale and use of methanol alcohol-based hand sanitisers.