Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by thesz 2224 days ago
Ethanol-based sanitizers can be ingested by desperate people. I know what binge can do. These in need found a way to drink denatured alcohol [1], doing very little to clean it up.

So, please add a point to your discourse. In my opinion, FDA did more good than bad for population of US in that particular case.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol

2 comments

There are many, many products approved by the FDA that can be abused by "desperate people". Given the limitations on sale, demand, and other things that would appear to be a lesser evil. I'd definitely disagree with the conclusion that preventing this "did more good for the population of the US". Even more so given that many of these facilities were mainly doing "personal" size efforts, 10-15ml bottles. Even at 96% alcohol (which is what the distillery here was getting), 10ml of alcohol won't put much of a dent in the alcoholic who is debating drinking hand sanitizer. It's barely a shot of vodka.
For me to better understand your position, I have to ask you simple question: can you name single thing FDA did right?

Not exactly right now, but anywhere in history of FDA.

I'm not sure why this comment is downvoted -- it's definitely true, and the FDA does care about stuff that people ingest even if they aren't supposed to.