A four-year-old girl in Alabama spent two days in intensive care after reportedly becoming drunk at school.
The child was “slobbering at the mouth” and limp when her parents arrived to pick her up while her blood alcohol content was 0.29 – over four times the legal limit for adults to drive.
Mary Singleton, the girl's mother, said the school had called them just two minutes before students were dismissed for the day. Shortly afterwards, she found her daughter almost unresponsive in the nurse’s office.
“She was slobbering at the mouth, she was heavy, and the teacher handed her to me, saying we probably needed to take her to the ER,” Singleton told WALA.
The child was taken to the Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Mobile, where she spent two days in the ICU. Doctors said she had ingested a large amount of ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol.
A toxicology report shared with WALA confirmed this, though it is not known how the child gained access to the substance.
In Alabama, the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration is 0.08% for most adult drivers.
According to the Chemical Safety Facts Organization, ethanol is found in a variety of products, including skin care products, hand sanitizers, food packaging systems, perfume, and more.
The Singletons said their daughter was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, though they want answers as to how the situation occurred.
A police investigation has been launched.
“It’s hard to deal with when you see your child walking into school and being carried out, you know, and you don’t have any idea what’s going on,” said the girl’s father, Albert Singleton.
The Independent has contacted the Prichard Police Department. Mobile County Public Schools did not respond to WALA's request for comment.
Experts recommend that adults ensure ethanol products are out of reach for young children. The Child Advocacy Center told the outlet it has seen similar cases previously.
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