Every single day of the year, there are people around the world searching for things like “Is isopropyl alcohol safe to drink?” It has alcohol in the name, and it’s made with alcohol, so that’s why people will ask this question. These are people, in most cases, who are having a very difficult time with alcoholism. We’re not here to judge, we’re here to inform you and give you the tools you need to make changes in your life.
If you’re thinking of drinking isopropyl, is it fair to assume that you might be at the point where you don’t really care about the potential harm that it can cause to your body, which is far more severe than alcohol that’s meant for drinking? By this point, you may have exhausted all other options, and all you’ve got left is this bottle of iso,
Or, perhaps you’re not an alcoholic at all. Maybe you’re just somebody who accidentally got a few drops of isopropyl in their mouth, or had a family member accidentally drink some, thinking it was something else? Whatever the case may be, again, we’re not here to judge – we’re here to help. So, with that said, here’s the truth about drinking isopyopyl alcohol…
Is Isopropyl Alcohol Safe to Drink?
Simply put – no.
Iso/rubbing alcohol is not safe to drink.
Sometimes, when somebody desperately wants to drink alcohol, and they can’t get any, they will turn to things like mouthwash or isopropyl in an attempt to feel a buzz – but this is not a good idea. It’s very, very dangerous to drink isopropyl or any other type of alcohol that isn’t intended for human consumption.
All alcohols are not the same.
You may think, “Well it’s just a stronger version of alcohol, so if I water it down, it’ll be the same thing…” but that’s not true.
Is it Safe To Drink Isopropyl? NO! We Can’t Stress This Enough!
Do not drink isopropyl, you can cause permanent damage and you will regret it deeply.
Now, if you’re struggling with alcoholism, and have a severe drinking problem, you’ve probably already done the calculations about the toll it’s taking on your body, and how it may end up hurting you someday, but it’s a totally different calculation when it comes to iso – this stuff is going to hurt you right now. Do not drink it.
Isopropyl is an entirely different type of alcohol than people drink, and it’s MUCH more toxic.
Every year, poison control phone lines are flooded with thousands and thousands of people who have drunk isopropyl, and had adverse reactions, and are panicking and don’t know what to do next. Do not become one of these people!
Individuals with alcohol addiction, for instance, have been known to resort to drinking rubbing alcohol in moments of desperation, such as when they have no access to beer, wine or liquor. People have also attempted suicide by drinking rubbing alcohol.
Excerpt via DrugRehab.com
Effects of Drinking Isopropyl on the Body
The intoxication from isopropyl is different than that from ethyl alcohol (the “normal” type of alcohol thatp eople drink.) It’s much more toxic, dangerous, and includes symptoms like severly slurred speech, headaches, vomiting, and poisioning the body and sending you into a deep coma, it can mess with your breathing, and can give you low blood pressure. Your pupils may become distorted, a nausea that won’t go away, your skin can get cold and clammy feeling, and it can even make your muscles sore.
Some of those (like slurred speech, headaches, and vomiting) are famililar effects for anyone who drinks a lot, however you need to understand that these things are much more severe when it comes to isopropyl, plus there are all of the additional very dangerous and severe side-effects we mentioned.
And these are just the short-term effects, the long-term effects of drinking isopropyl are even scarier, including all sorts of damage to the body, including brain damage and hurting your viral organs.
So, Here’s What To Do If You’re Thinking of Drinking Isopropyl…
If you’re considering drinking isopropyl because yo have nothing else to drink, you need to just take a step back. Take it off the table, it’s not even an option, it’s not what you’re looking for.
Of course, we would prefer that you don’t drink at all, but if you need to drink – don’t drink iso! In a situation like this, you’re much better off drinking regular alcohol instead of isopropyl. Please just erase iso from your mind as an option at all, it’s not what you want.
If there’s a friend or a loved one you can call to explain the situation to them, tell them you’re desperately in need of a drink, and you know that’s a problem and you want to take steps to fix your drinking problem, but at this moment you’re thinking of drinking isopropyl and you know how harmful that is and you need a better alternative.
In a situation like this, it can be difficult because they may feel like they’re enabling you, but what you need to do is to dump that isopropyl down the drain – right now – just eliminate it as an option altogether.
Harm reduction: Everybody understands that quitting drinking is the ideal outcome, the best thing to do, and a great goal to strive for. Sometimes, however, a person just isn’t at that point yet. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, people will make irrational decisions that can have harmful long-term impacts on their lives, if they even survive those decisions in the first place, and one of those types of decisions is drinking isopropyl, so if that can be avoided at all – this is a form of harm reduction. Drinking regular alcohol instead of isopropyl is simply a better choice, even if it still means the alcoholic is drinking.
Sometimes, just getting through the day without causing severe permanent harm or damage is a victory. So, if someone asks is isopropyl alcohol safe to drink, the answer is no, absolutely not. If you know somebody who is thinking of drinking iso, please do everything you can to find an alternative whether that means staying with them and helping them get through the cravings, or whatever it takes to ensure they don’t drink this poison, you could save their life.
