Acute Ethanol Intoxication After Consumption of Hairspray

Abstract

A 61-year-old woman with a history of alcohol dependence came to the emergency department with ethanol intoxication. Her serum ethanol concentration was 322 mg/dl. When questioned, she admitted to consuming a 14-oz bottle of hairspray mixed with water because of its denatured alcohol content. The woman had used nonbeverage sources of alcohol on a regular basis for a number of years after learning of the practice from fellow attendees of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Her primary reason for this behavior was to hide her continued alcohol abuse from her family. She consumed hairspray that contained 50% denatured alcohol by volume; the amount she ingested was equal to 7 fluid oz of ethanol, the equivalent of 14 1.25-oz shots of 80-proof liquor. Her serum ethanol concentration was consistent with that predicted by pharmacokinetic equations based on the consumption of one bottle of hairspray. The hairspray product contained specially denatured alcohol 40-B, which consists of ethanol and small quantities of t-butyl alcohol and denatonium benzoate. Ethanol is the substance of primary toxicologic concern. Clinicians need to be aware that numerous nonbeverage sources of alcohol exist and should be considered when a patient presents with acute intoxication. The source and its components should be identified as soon as possible in order to assess other potential toxicities.

Surrogate Alcohol: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?

“…Cosmetic products like hair sprays, after shaves or mouthwashes have been described to be frequently ingested as surrogate alcohol (Egbert et al., 1986, 1985; Khan et al., 1999; Sperry and Pfalzgraf, 1990). In the United States, the use of denatured alcohol in form of hairspray and spray disinfectants (called “Montana Gin”) was reported to be widespread among Native Americans in the 1980s (Burd et al., 1987), and still seems to be used (Carnahan et al., 2005) particularly in reservations (Moore, 2005). So‐called “denatured alcohol” is usually used as the ingredient in cosmetics.…”

Hand Sanitizer Intoxication in the Emergency Department

“…Non-beverage or surrogate alcohols are substances that may be consumed as an alternative to traditional alcoholic beverages containing alcohol. These substances may include mouthwash, perfumes, aftershave, cough syrup, liquid cold remedies, rubbing alcohol, gasoline, paint thinner, jellied alcohols, hairspray, and hand sanitizers [1][2][3][4]. Some individuals suffering from alcoholism may choose these methods of alcohol consumption in order to become intoxicated.…”

Non-beverage alcohol consumption among individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in Edmonton, Canada: a cross-sectional study

“…The high concentration of alcohol found in NBA poses serious risks of injury, disease and death, and can result in significant detrimental health effects [ 14 , 15 ]. Additive ingredients and denaturing agents in NBA such as methanol or isopropanol can also be particularly hazardous to health when consumed in large doses, but the ethanol remains the most toxic and high-risk component of NBA [ 7 , 16 ].…”