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Hand sanitisers linked to poisoning cases
17th of April 2013A man has died after apparently ingesting a hand sanitiser in a Canadian hospital. And two US students have been accused of attempting to poison their teacher with a hand sanitiser product.
Kurt Kraus, a 46-year-old chronic alcoholic, is believed to have drunk the hand sanitiser within a few hours of being admitted to the Vulcan hospital in southern Alberta. Unknown to staff he had also previously swallowed 10 anti-depressant pills.
The man was transferred to a police cell to sober up, but stopped breathing within minutes of being placed in the cell. An inquiry heard that the man's death was caused by a combination of drugs and alcohol.
The hospital has since removed all portable bottles of hand sanitiser from its wards and replaced them with wall-mounted dispensers in public areas.
Meanwhile, two Virginia students have been accused of attempting to poison their teacher with hand sanitiser. The two 13-year-old boys are said to have doctored the drinks of their 66-year-old teacher over the course of several months. The teacher reportedly complained of stomach discomfort but was not hospitalised.
The two students - from the state's Hines Middle School - have been arrested and charged with attempted poisoning. They have admitted the charges and have also been transferred to an alternative school.