is it safe for alcoholics to use products with cetyl alcohol and benzyl alcohol?

Question

It is imperative that alcoholics do not ingest, digest or use products with alcohol in so is it safe to use products that use cetyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, methol or menthol etc? and sodium laurel sulphate?

if ytou're pure of heart mind body and soul then surely all chemicals and ethyls, methyl, cet;, benzyl and acohol are abusive to the recovering acoholic and strongly suggested by some interesting readers. Because as a pharmacist once said to me supposedly "It's different because you don't pour it down your throat"! To me it's still alcohol so it's no good for you. What do you think? Do you find this interesting?

Answer 1

some of those alcohols are poisonous in large amounts if ingested and should not be used to excess by anyone - but in the past some street people would drink these products in jurisdictions in which alcohol used ot be heavily restricted (they were called 'rubbies' here from consuming rubbing alcohol),

I would suggest recovering alcoholics avoid these products until they are firmly on the wagon.

Answer 2

Cetostearyl Alcohol Side Effects

Answer 3

According to chemistry experts sodium laurel sulphate is not an alcohol. But there are many kinds of alcohols. Methyl, which I think is to what you are referring is an alcohol converted into ether but not the kind that alkies have to worry about.

Menthol, of course is derived from peppermint and is not even close to being alcohol. (Although from bitter experience I can tell you that between smoking Newports and sucking Lifesavers, we alkies with bad tobacco breath do seem to consume a ton of it until we recover from our illness) :)

There are many kinds of alcohols. Alcoholics are only allergic to ethyl alcohol also known as ETOH or Ethanol.

It may surprise you to learn that ethanol is actually a carbohydrate. That's right - it's food which the body absorbs and metabolize as a source of energy, producing calories.

A minority of humans, estimated at perhaps only ten percent of the world population experiences an abnormal reaction to this type of alcohol since it produces a phenomenon of craving in these individuals.

This is not an experience that most people experience - hence it can be considered an "allergy" in the same way that some people have no tolerance for sunlight, or peanuts are both considered allergies.

People who abuse alcohol and do not experience this allergic reaction would not be considered real alcoholics according the the book "Alcoholics Anonymous" also known as The Big Book - even though they may develop serious health and social consequences stemming from their heavy or hard drinking.

Other types of alcohols such as the kind that may be present in trace amounts in some food products like orange juice, which have no energy value have no deleterious effects on the alcoholic in such minuscule amounts since alcoholics are not typically allergic to these.

I hope this is helpful.

Peace,

Danny S

http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com/

Answer 4

Non-practicing alcoholics must avoid all products that contain ethyl alcohol such as cough medicines that often contain ethyl alcohol. All liquor whether it is beer, wine or spirits contains ethyl alcohol which is C2H5OH and that is the problem component for alcoholics.

Cetyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, menthol and sodium laurel sulphate do not contain any ethyl alcohol but none of them should ever be ingested with the exception of menthol peppermints that soothe your throat.

The methol that you are referring to is perhaps methyl alcohol or methylated spirits which makes people insane and blind if they consume it.

Answer 5

any alcohol product can be absorbed, so a recovering alcoholic should not use those products. If antabuse is part of the treatment such products will actually make one sick.