Alice Springs pharmacies stop selling hand sanitiser as bottle shops close

A popular item will no longer be on sale in Alice Springs pharmacies following a crackdown on problem drinking in the town. Read why the businesses took the drastic step.

Pharmacies in Alice Springs have stopped selling hand sanitiser amid reports desperate drinkers are misusing the product while the town’s bottle shops are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Priceline co-owner Peter Hatswell said his Todd St outlet had withdrawn hand sanitiser from sale on Friday after the government “upped the ante” by ordering liquor retailers to close their doors two days a week.

“We’ve noticed on social media there has been some reports of hand sanitiser being poured into drink bottles that would commonly be used to drink out of and we were concerned that potential for misuse might escalate,” he said.

“We felt the risk was too great to continue selling it and there wasn’t enough upside for community safety.

“The potential for harm was too great and the best thing (was) to make sure that the wrong people didn’t get a hold of it, regardless of who buys it.”

Priceline Alice Springs staff member Darcy McKinnon with a sign advising customers that hand sanitiser is not available for purchase. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Mr Hatswell said the pharmacy had been aware of the potential for misuse of hand sanitiser since the Covid-19 pandemic began but “things have escalated” since the alcohol reforms were introduced last week.

“I think basically the ante has been upped with the issues that we currently have in Alice Springs,” he said.

“Clearly we need to constantly monitor this and things have escalated to the point where stopping the sale of it altogether was the appropriate action.”

Priceline Alice Springs staff members Mitchell Rosewood (left) and Darcy McKinnon with a sign advising customers that hand sanitiser is not available for purchase. Picture: Kevin Farmer

It comes after the Territory government banned alcohol retailers in Alice Springs from selling grog on Mondays and Tuesdays and imposed a four hour sales window every other day.

But Mr Hatswell said while the product had genuine public health applications, it was unclear when his shop would be able to start selling it again, even after the bottle-Os reopened.

“We’re selling it to people who are in positions where they’re accessing public areas, like truck drivers are buying it a lot, and mums and teachers, all people that clearly are using it for a good purpose and it’s really unfortunate that they’re going to miss out,” he said.

“Until I guess there’s some real movement in the problems that Alice Springs is facing and the alcohol abuse and everything else, then we’ll need to remain in the situation where we do not sell it at this time.

“We’ll review that on an ongoing basis and should the situation change then we will probably start selling it but I can’t tell you when that will be.”