Handwash Drinking Craze Predicted

A Shocking trend for alcoholics to drink hospital handwash was predicted by North Lincolnshire hospital bosses more than two years ago.

Hospitals across the country are removing a particular handwash from sites after two homeless men were found to have died in agony from drinking it.

But a Scunthorpe General Hospital spokesman said Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS hospitals trust managers had realised there was a possibility the handwash might be targeted for its alcohol content and chose a form that is more difficult to consume.

He said: “We use the gel form of the handwash rather than the liquid because we realised people might try to drink a liquid.

He described the trend for alcoholics to drink handrub as a ‘relatively recent’ one.

Spirigel handwash is used at many hospitals as a disinfectant, to protect against infections such as MRSA.

Its high alcohol content, 70 per cent, makes it attractive to alcoholics, who have been stealing it and mixing it into home brew across the country.

A Southwark coroner heard last week two homeless men died after drinking the substance.

North Lincolnshire Council’s deputy head of safer neighbourhoods Ian Welch said he had been unaware of a problem with people drinking handwash.

Humberside Police and the coroner’s office also said they were unaware of any cases in North Lincolnshire.

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