Back-to-School Brings Germs - and Parental Worries

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 15 Pencils, crayons, sandwich bags, andhand sanitizer -- all are typical supplies found on many back-to-school lists.But one item on that list may cause parents and teachers to pause.Alcohol-based hand sanitizer and accidental ingestion of the product have beenthe subject of recent news reports, highlighting the need for parentalsupervision.

One leading brand is responding with sound advice -- and a new, effectivealternative. Germ-X(R) is launching a new, non-alcohol-based, foaming handsanitizer -- Germ-X(R) Advanced Protection. The product will be available inWal-Mart stores starting in late August and in other retailers this winter.

"We urge parents and teachers to treat hand sanitizers as they would anyother household product and supervise young children while using them," saidMark Gershenson, senior vice president of marketing for Vi-Jon Laboratories."For those families looking for an alternative to alcohol-based formulas,Germ-X Advanced Protection provides a new alternative to keep their childrenhealthy."

Germ-X Advanced Protection is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial handsanitizer that kills 99.99 percent of many common germs and bacteria in aslittle as 15 seconds. The formula contains 0.13 percent benzalkonium chloride,an active ingredient that is widely used in a variety of concentrations. It iscommonly used in eyewashes as a preservative, in hand washes as an antiseptic,and in surface cleaners as a disinfectant.

Germ-X Advanced Protection has a light, clean feel and a fresh scent. Itwill retail for a suggested price of $2.87 at Wal-Mart stores nationwide.

All Germ-X hand sanitizers are designed to be part of healthy hand hygieneprogram. Washing hands with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer canreduce the chance of infection by killing many common germs and bacteria thatcan cause illness. Studies from the American Journal of Infection Controlshow hand sanitizers are effective in curbing absentee rates in elementaryschools and reducing illnesses in university dormitories.

Germ-X offers a complete line of antibacterial soaps, sanitizers, and softwipes for the health of your family. Visit the Germ-X Web site(http://www.GermX.com) for more details and links to sites with independentinformation about the benefits of hand sanitizers.

About Germ-X

Germ-X is produced by Vi-Jon, a St. Louis-based personal care productsmanufacturer, distributing a full range of products to the nation's largestmass-market retailers, food stores and distributors, and drug store chains.

SOURCE Germ-X