Medicines Containing Alcohol
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Praise be to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from His Excellency the Deputy Chairman of the General Authority for Food and Drugs for Pharmaceutical Affairs, via letter number (17864 E) dated 23/7/1431 AH, and his supplementary letter number (27266 E) dated 3/12/1431 AH, which was referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number (1528) dated 18/12/1431 AH. His Excellency asked a question, the text of which is as follows: Requests are received by the General Authority for Food and Drugs from some pharmaceutical companies to register pharmaceutical products used as antiseptics and mouthwashes that contain alcohol as an additive, and sometimes the alcohol is the active ingredient in the product, which serves to purify the mouth of microbes. Usually, the percentage of alcohol—if it is the active ingredient—is not less than 20% of the total components of the product. These medicines are used by gargling or rinsing a specific amount of the medicine and then spitting it out without swallowing it, although a very small amount may be absorbed through the mouth without causing any notable effect as an alcoholic substance. What is your opinion on allowing
the registration and use of such products? And in his response to the inquiries directed to his Excellency by the Committee, the following was stated: We are pleased to present to your Eminence a statement regarding the inquiries in your letter as follows: 1- Is there an alternative to this product that is free of alcohol or has a very low percentage? - Yes, there are alternatives, but they do not have the same therapeutic efficacy as the products that contain alcohol in their composition, as the presence of alcohol in the composition increases the required therapeutic efficacy. 2- Is the percentage mentioned in the product intoxicating if drunk? - Yes, if the mentioned percentage of alcohol were drunk alone, it could be intoxicating, but as your Eminence knows, the product is a mouthwash, and what is absorbed through the mouth is very small and cannot cause intoxication, as the purpose of adding alcohol is to benefit from the therapeutic effect of alcohol as an antiseptic substance. 3- Does the percentage of alcohol mentioned in the product change its color, taste, or smell? - As for the color, it does not change, but as for the taste and smell, it depends on the concentration of the flavoring substance added to the product. If its concentration is stronger, the smell and taste of the flavoring substance dominate in
the product, and the opposite is true .
After the Committee studied the inquiry, it answered that it is not permissible to use medicine mixed with an intoxicant for gargling to clean the mouth and teeth, or to sterilize them; because there are permissible and available alternatives that serve as a substitute for it, and they are free of it.
the registration and use of such products? And in his response to the inquiries directed to his Excellency by the Committee, the following was stated: We are pleased to present to your Eminence a statement regarding the inquiries in your letter as follows: 1- Is there an alternative to this product that is free of alcohol or has a very low percentage? - Yes, there are alternatives, but they do not have the same therapeutic efficacy as the products that contain alcohol in their composition, as the presence of alcohol in the composition increases the required therapeutic efficacy. 2- Is the percentage mentioned in the product intoxicating if drunk? - Yes, if the mentioned percentage of alcohol were drunk alone, it could be intoxicating, but as your Eminence knows, the product is a mouthwash, and what is absorbed through the mouth is very small and cannot cause intoxication, as the purpose of adding alcohol is to benefit from the therapeutic effect of alcohol as an antiseptic substance. 3- Does the percentage of alcohol mentioned in the product change its color, taste, or smell? - As for the color, it does not change, but as for the taste and smell, it depends on the concentration of the flavoring substance added to the product. If its concentration is stronger, the smell and taste of the flavoring substance dominate in
the product, and the opposite is true .
After the Committee studied the inquiry, it answered that it is not permissible to use medicine mixed with an intoxicant for gargling to clean the mouth and teeth, or to sterilize them; because there are permissible and available alternatives that serve as a substitute for it, and they are free of it.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.