Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district has seen a spike in sanitiser addictions. According to Andhra police, at least 235 people are addicted as it is all they have to drink due to alcohol not being available. Only the previous week, 16 people in the district¡¯s Kurichedu mandal died from drinking sanitiser, as per a report in Indian Express.??
SP Siddharth Kaushal said police have identified those people who are quenching their thirst for booze on sanitisers.?
¡°We are in the process of identifying more people. It is an ongoing process and we are in continuous engagement with them, counselling them and telling them about the dangers of consuming sanitisers,¡± he told Express.?
"Till a few days ago, if liquor shops in one area were closed, they remained open in other areas. But it is a unique situation here as all the liquor shops in the three mandals are closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. There are a large number of liquor addicts in the area who drink daily. A beggar gave them the idea of consuming sanitisers. While gel sanitisers are costly, the liquid is very cheap compared to liquor,¡± he added.?
Police are taking custody of the sanitisers and providing counselling to those addicted.?
¡°We are informing them how the harmful chemicals can cause death in a few days. All those who are now consuming sanitiser are extremely poor daily-wagers, beggars or labourers,¡± said Deputy SP K Prakash Rao.?
An investigation is on to look into the deaths caused by drinking sanitisers and also the availability of cheap bottles. 235 people have been identified, there are still many who are not out in the open.?
Sanitisers are a weapon to keep one safe from COVID-19. But when consumed, they can turn deadly. When the lockdown was initially placed, many people reverse engineered it to get alcohol. Some drank it as it was and the result was disastrous.?
People need to be made aware of the risks or more will die or suffer ailments.