This time of crisis has lead to a shortage of, among other things, hand sanitizer. In response, various distillers of ethanol (aka drinking alcohol) have stepped up to help and have offered to instead produce ethanol as hand sanitizer.

The FDA and ATF have acknowledged that shortages exist and that the conversion of ethanol production from consumption to sanitization is a legitimate practice. However, these agencies have only agreed to allow ethanol to be used as hand sanitizer with requirements are handicapping distillers' actual ability to help end the shortage. First, the alcohol must be at least 94.9 percent ethanol by volume, a difficult and costly percentage to reach, and unnecessary as 80% ethanol is proven effective. Second, the alcohol must be denatured, a costly process to ensure it is toxic and subject to its own costs and shortages.

To ensure the quickest response to filling the gap in hand sanitizer:

• I demand ethanol producers immediately, and until further notice, be permitted to create of hand sanitizer at 80.0 percent ethanol by volume, or higher; which is aligned with the minimum guidelines provided from multiple reputable sources, including the World Health Organization, as effective against the novel Coronavirus.
• I further demand ethanol producers be permitted to create such hand sanitizer without the requirement to denature. Denaturing is discouraged by the World Health Organization, to to the additional risks it brings. The inclusion of denaturation also adds complexity, costs, and delays. None of which should be born unnecessarily during this crisis.

For additional details see:

* https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/489839-fda-...

* https://www.fda.gov/media/136118/download