OKLAHOMA CITY (NewsNation Now) — Poison control officials are warning parents about a hand sanitizer product packaged in a pouch that children could mistake as a snack.
The Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information is raising concerns about the potential harm that could be caused by hand sanitizer pouches.
There are several different brands that are manufacturing hand sanitizer in pouches, and some appear to have cartoons on the packaging.
“They have a very similar appearance to an applesauce or one of the snack pouches that a child would use,” said Scott Schaeffer, the center’s managing director.
Schaeffer expressed concerns to NewsNation affiliate KFOR that young children may not notice the subtle differences in packaging between snack pouches and hand sanitizer.
“The alcohol that’s in these products is a very high concentration. Think whiskey or even stronger than that, so a very small amount can have a very great impact on a small child,” said Schaeffer.
Schaeffer said the center has seen an uptick in calls for children drinking hand sanitizer since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Schaeffer recommends keeping the pouches out of children’s reach, and calling poison control if a child does drink hand sanitizer.