Common sense or science sense?

We recently discussed an article about people microwaving their sponges to disinfect the sponge. We then read another article about people trying to microwave a dry sponge. These two articles showed us how the common person does not always have the science background or experiences that we have. While it seems like common sense to us, not everyone knows you cannot put a dry sponge or metal in the microwave.

As science majors, I feel like we often forget that people do not think the same way we do. This leads me to an article I found on CNN Health. The title is, "U.S. doctors warn of poisoning from hand gels." The article focuses on two cases where men have become ill after drinking hand sanitizer. Why are people drinking hand sanitizer? One man's response was related to the alcohol content and that it had a higher concentration than vodka! This is great, right? It appears more people have started drinking hand sanitizer gels and soaps in an attempt to get drunk, because the New England Journal of Medicine has publised letters about this. The main problem with drinking hand sanitizer is the type of alcohol used in these products, which is isopropanol. Isopropanol is very toxic and can kill you. As students, who have completed organic chemistry, we all know not to drink isopropanol. However, people in society see alcohol and automatically think it is drinkable. Doctors are asking the manufacturers of these products to change their labeling. I think this is a great idea, because instead of simply listing the main ingredient as alcohol it could be isopropanol with a health warning.

I think this article surprised me because I feel like most people who drink alcohol know the drinkable kind is ethanol. I feel like even if I did not know this, I would realize I did not want to drink something being used to kill bacteria on my hands. I don't have any hand sanitizer in my apartment, but I am curious about the labeling.