{"id":2816,"date":"2023-07-24T06:06:49","date_gmt":"2023-07-24T06:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/?page_id=2816"},"modified":"2025-02-07T12:16:45","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T12:16:45","slug":"drinking-rubbing-alcohol","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/alcohol\/drinking-rubbing-alcohol\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lethal Consequences of Rubbing Alcohol: What Happens When You Drink It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Drinking alcohol and rubbing alcohol are very different. Consuming rubbing alcohol can lead to dangerous side effects, bodily harm and alcohol poisoning<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rubbing alcohol<\/a> is a cheap and commonly available chemical used as a disinfectant. Because this sanitizing agent contains alcohol<\/a>, some people wonder if it could be safe to drink or if it can cause serious health problems. Drinking rubbing alcohol can actually be very dangerous and quickly lead to alcohol poisoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Is Rubbing Alcohol Made?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rubbing alcohol contains two ingredients: isopropyl alcohol and water. Typically, about 70% of the solution is isopropyl alcohol and the rest is water, but there may be solutions with a higher concentration of isopropyl alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Rubbing Alcohol Used For?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rubbing alcohol<\/a> does not have very many uses. The most common use is as a disinfectant or sanitizer. It can be used as an alcohol-based sanitizer that substitutes for soap and water if the hands are not visibly grimy. Isopropyl alcohol gained more widespread use during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people became more conscious about the risk of spreading infections. Rubbing alcohol can also be used as a solvent or as antifreeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can You Get Drunk off Rubbing Alcohol?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rubbing alcohol can make you feel drunk but also has a moderate chance of killing you. It can make people intoxicated, but it is not the same as drinking alcohol. Many people think that alcohol only refers to a chemical that you can drink recreationally. Alcohol, however, actually refers to an entire class of chemicals, most of which are very toxic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ethyl alcohol is the specific type of alcohol used for drinking, and every other type of alcohol is considered unsafe to ingest. Rubbing alcohol uses isopropyl alcohol, not ethyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol can be very toxic, and fatalities have occurred after drinking as little as eight ounces<\/a> \u2014 the equivalent of \u2154 of a can of beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Happens if You Drink Rubbing Alcohol?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you drink rubbing alcohol, it quickly absorbs into your digestive tract and is metabolized by your body. It irritates your gastric tract as your body absorbs it, causing abdominal pain and nausea. Your body converts the isopropyl alcohol into acetone<\/a>, the smelly and toxic chemical found in nail polish remover. Acetone can lead to many dangerous symptoms, suppressing your brain activity and potentially having fatal effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Effects of Drinking Rubbing Alcohol<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rubbing alcohol causes side effects through the irritant effect it has on the intestines and the intoxicating effect that it and its byproducts create on the nervous system. Some of the effects of drinking rubbing alcohol<\/a> include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n