UF Study: Hand Sanitizer Can Skew Alcohol Test-Also Warns Of Mouthwash, Cosmetics Use

UF Study: Hand Sanitizer Can Skew Alcohol Test
Author Of Study Also Warns Of Mouthwash, Cosmetics Use

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Hand sanitizer fanatics, beware. A University of Florida study has found that frequent use of the cleansers can cause a person to test positive for alcohol consumption.

Using the alcohol-based sanitizers a few times a day is probably not enough to show up on a urine test. But for people whose jobs require repeated hand sanitizer use -- such as doctors and nurses -- the amount of alcohol absorbed through the skin could lead to a false positive.

Study co-author Dr. Gary Reisfield said he was inspired to do the study after coming into contact with people at Shands Recovery Center who tested positive but denied having consumed alcohol.

He said people need to be aware of other hidden sources of alcohol, too, such as mouthwashes and cosmetics.

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