EU moves to ban alcohol use in chemical industry, experts baffled

The European Chemicals Agency is seeking to ban the use of ethyl alcohol in detergents, cleaning products, medicines and cosmetics, claiming that it can cause cancer. Specialists at the Lithuanian National Public Health Centre (NVSC) are skeptical about such a proposal. Manufacturers say that an alternative to ethanol is not produced in Lithuania, so if a new pandemic were to strike, the production of disinfectants would become a problem.

The consumption of ethanol-containing beverages is not prohibited, but ethanol-containing disinfectants may be banned. Businessmen say that common sense cannot understand such intentions. And if they are legalized, it is difficult to assess the extent of the potential damage.