# Mild intoxication from hand sanitizer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 13, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618 "2020-06-13T18:13:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/21 "2020-06-15T15:51:38Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > It is possible to inhale sufficient alcohol vapor to get drunk, but it would have to be a LOT of it One of my sons worked at a restaurant that made it’s own dough for bread, buns, pizza crust, etc… the dough was left to rise in a large round vat. He said they would stab cut off pieces of hose into it and inhale the air. Because of the recipe the air was fermented and they’d get high as a kite for a little while. Yeast + sugar will cause fermentation. But I have no idea if the air would actually have intoxicating qualities or if the owner just got a kick out of getting gullible teenagers to suck pizza dough. Must have been quite a sight. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/22 "2020-06-15T15:57:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Broomstick** : > > Maybe that’s why FAA set permissible level of blood alcohol for pilots is not zero - so they can have a glass of orange juice at breakfast without losing their jobs over it. You can also detect alcohol in the blood literally days after an evening of moderate drinking. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/23 "2020-06-15T15:57:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Broomstick** : > > Maybe that’s why FAA set permissible level of blood alcohol for pilots is not zero - so they can have a glass of orange juice at breakfast without losing their jobs over it. You can also detect alcohol in the blood literally days after an evening of moderate drinking. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/24 "2020-06-15T19:25:20Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > You can also frequently detect alcohol in the body after drinking a glass of fruit juice because they ferment so readily, even if no intoxication results from it. Maybe that’s why FAA set permissible level of blood alcohol for pilots is not zero - so they can have a glass of orange juice at breakfast without losing their jobs over it. :dubious: Do you have a cite for that claim? The alcohol content in unpasteurized juice is usually around .05%, just slightly higher than non-alcoholic “beer”. At that level one would have to drink an enormous amount to get a BAC that would register on a blood/breath/urine test. The amount for most people would be in excess of the capacity of their stomach. One glass of OJ isn’t going to do it. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/25 "2020-06-15T19:39:17Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You can also detect alcohol in the blood literally days after an evening of moderate drinking. The liver processes approximately 1 once of ethanol per hour. That’s about the amount in a standard serving of beer/wine/mixer/shot give or take. So except for a hair test it shouldn’t test after a few days. Unless your definition of “moderate” is coming from one of my fellow wisconsinites. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/26 "2020-06-15T21:10:19Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > :dubious: > > Do you have a cite for that claim? The alcohol content in unpasteurized juice is usually around .05%, just slightly higher than non-alcoholic “beer”. At that level one would have to drink an enormous amount to get a BAC that would register on a blood/breath/urine test. The amount for most people would be in excess of the capacity of their stomach. One glass of OJ isn’t going to do it. One of the problems is that as part of a post-accident autopsy might be a toxicology screen workup intended to find absolutely anything at all detectable… and most if not all humans have some slight amount of alcohol in the blood/tissues that is detectable with modern technology. Setting the limit to zero is impossible and apparently there was an outbreak of sanity in government that resulted in the limit NOT being zero. Actually, the legal limit for pilots is somewhat higher than I expected it to be when I first studied these things in ground school. I think an argument could be made to set it lower, but no one in authority asked me about it. But hey, don’t take my word for it - here’s the specific regulation, FAR Part 91.17: > [@](#): > > (a) No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft - > > (1) Within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage; > > (2) While under the influence of alcohol; > > (3) While using any drug that affects the person’s faculties in any way contrary to safety; or > > (4) **While having an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater in a blood or breath specimen.** Alcohol concentration means grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood or grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. > > (b) Except in an emergency, no pilot of a civil aircraft may allow a person who appears to be intoxicated or who demonstrates by manner or physical indications that the individual is under the influence of drugs (except a medical patient under proper care) to be carried in that aircraft. > > (c) A crewmember shall do the following: > > (1) On request of a law enforcement officer, submit to a test to indicate the alcohol concentration in the blood or breath, when - > > (i) The law enforcement officer is authorized under State or local law to conduct the test or to have the test conducted; and > > (ii) The law enforcement officer is requesting submission to the test to investigate a suspected violation of State or local law governing the same or substantially similar conduct prohibited by paragraph (a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(4) of this section. > > (2) Whenever the FAA has a reasonable basis to believe that a person may have violated paragraph (a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(4) of this section, on request of the FAA, that person must furnish to the FAA the results, or authorize any clinic, hospital, or doctor, or other person to release to the FAA, the results of each test taken within 4 hours after acting or attempting to act as a crewmember that indicates an alcohol concentration in the blood or breath specimen. > > (d) Whenever the Administrator has a reasonable basis to believe that a person may have violated paragraph (a)(3) of this section, that person shall, upon request by the Administrator, furnish the Administrator, or authorize any clinic, hospital, doctor, or other person to release to the Administrator, the results of each test taken within 4 hours after acting or attempting to act as a crewmember that indicates the presence of any drugs in the body. > > (e) Any test information obtained by the Administrator under paragraph (c) or (d) of this section may be evaluated in determining a person’s qualifications for any airman certificate or possible violations of this chapter and may be used as evidence in any legal proceeding under section 602, 609, or 901 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/27 "2020-06-15T22:32:59Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > One of the problems is that as part of a post-accident autopsy might be a toxicology screen workup intended to find absolutely anything at all detectable… and most if not all humans have some slight amount of alcohol in the blood/tissues that is detectable with modern technology. Yeah, with the zillions of OWI accidents I’ve been at, both fatal and not, I am aware of the testing that is done. But 1 glass of .05 OJ is not going to show up. And your cite says .04 BAC, that is not the same as drinking a .05 beverage. A full grown adult needs to drink a couple of regular beers to get to .04. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/28 "2020-06-15T22:36:46Z")
To be honest, I don’t know how the FAA’s limit was arrived at. The OJ story is one I’ve heard in flight schools and informal gatherings and you’re right, you’d have to drink a crapton of fruit juice to get anywhere near that. Given a choice between absolutely zero and the current limit we’re probably better off at the current limit because even a teetotaler can’t guarantee absolutely NO alcohol ever in their systems. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/29 "2020-06-15T22:40:07Z")
The rate at which the liver processes alcohol depends on the concentration. So as long as its capacity is not saturated, the concentration will decay exponentially, never going entirely to zero. How long afterwards it can be detected then depends only on how sensitive the test is. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/30 "2020-06-15T22:50:07Z")
Hey **pkbites** , I heard they were taking your guns away? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/31 "2020-06-16T12:06:39Z")
> [@pool](#): > > Hey **pkbites** , I heard they were taking your guns away? **Moderator Warning** I don’t know what prompted this, but it doesn’t belong in this thread. This is an official warning for being a jerk. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/32 "2020-06-16T12:07:49Z")
**[Moderating]** **pool** , whatever that is, it’s certainly not on the topic of this thread, and it looks like an attempt to start problems with another poster. This is a Warning for personal attacks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/33 "2020-06-16T12:07:33Z")
**[Moderating]** **pool** , whatever that is, it’s certainly not on the topic of this thread, and it looks like an attempt to start problems with another poster. This is a Warning for personal attacks. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618/34 "2020-06-16T14:51:49Z")
To invoke actual Science: Results of a Danish research study back in 2010 suggest that [skin absorption of alcohol may not be significant](http://sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101214201527.htm). \*"The volunteers drank no alcohol for 24 hours before the experiments and they provided a blood sample before submerging their feet in a washing-up bowl containing three bottles of Karloff Vodka. The participants then kept their feet in the vodka for three hours and provided blood samples every half an hour. The group undertook a self-assessment for signs of drunkenness – they rated themselves on a scale of 0 to 10 on self-confidence, urge to speak and the number of times they desired spontaneous hugs. The results show that after the three hours there was no increase in the concentration of alcohol in the participants’ blood stream."\* Of course, caveats include the lack of double blinding, small sample size and the distinct possibility that Karloff vodka behaves differently than other alcoholic beverages. 🙂 But if three hours standing/soaking one’s feet in vodka doesn’t result in intoxication, I doubt even frequent use of hand sanitizer puts one at risk of a DUI. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-intoxication-from-hand-sanitizer/855618.md?page=1)