National center for infection control professionals, healthcare experts, manufacturers, distributors, suppliers and consumers focused on best practices in hand hygiene and hand sanitizer products

Friday, August 27, 2010

4th Grader Suspended For Sniffing Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer

just another story illustrating why many schools are migrating to non-alcohol based hand sanitizers..and burning up the alcohol-based produts

from CBS News, Woodland California

4th Grader Suspended For Sniffing Hand Sanitizer
More Local News
Reporting
Kris Pickel
WOODLAND, Calif. (CBS13) ―



A local 4th grader was suspended from school, after officials say he was caught sniffing hand [alcohol-based] sanitizer.

The mother says she tried to talk to the principal, who said the suspension was going to stand and would also be a mark on his record.

Matteo Meier, a 4th grader at Dingle Elementary, is feeling pummeled by a school punishment.

"I got in trouble and I got suspended," he says.

Matteo says friends at school told him to sniff hand sanitizer. He's done it occasionally since last year, but yesterday he got caught by a teacher who gave him a suspension and a scare.

The nine-year-old says he didn't know it was wrong, and didn't get a warning.

"If it was that bad, they could have made me lose recess instead of suspending me," he said.

There is a problem with the hand sanitizer violating the school zero tolerance drug use; CBS13 talked to poison control and a drug rehab center, and they've never heard of anyone getting high off smelling hand sanitizer.

After calls from CBS13, district officials looked into the case.

"I believe apologies will be made," says district official, Mike Steven, after being asked if Matteo would receive an apology.

Sarah Brett, Matteo's mother, believes there was a rush to judge her son, because of past behavior problems, which he's been working on.

Sarah says the hand sanitizer shows that kids are already experimenting, and the school should use this as a teachable moment.

1 comment:

Industrial Supplies said...

A child at his age knows that it is wrong. He has seen enough bad tv shows and movies to know that this is not a good idea. He is misguided and needs to realize how seriously he could hurt himself.