Alcohol-based cologne / rubbing alcohol in car?

[mjpayne]

What is the name of your state? NJ

I realize this may sound paranoid, but could I be found guilty of having an open container of alcohol if I have in my car rubbing alcohol and / or alcohol-based cologne?

Before anyone asks, no, I'm not drinking it!

 

[Just Blue]

What is the name of your state? NJ

I realize this may sound paranoid, but could I be found guilty of having an open container of alcohol if I have in my car rubbing alcohol and / or alcohol-based cologne?

Before anyone asks, no, I'm not drinking it!

No. Why do you ask?

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state? NJ

I realize this may sound paranoid, but could I be found guilty of having an open container of alcohol if I have in my car rubbing alcohol and / or alcohol-based cologne?

Before anyone asks, no, I'm not drinking it!

You posted this under Drunk Driving/DUI/DWI. Were you pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving?

 

[mjpayne]

You posted this under Drunk Driving/DUI/DWI. Were you pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving?

No. I wasn't pulled over for this or anything related to it. I posted it in the DUI section because I thought it was most relevant.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state? NJ

I realize this may sound paranoid, but could I be found guilty of having an open container of alcohol if I have in my car rubbing alcohol and / or alcohol-based cologne?

Before anyone asks, no, I'm not drinking it!

I don't think that we would ask, because drinking either of those things would kill you. No, neither of those things would be considered to be open containers of alcohol.

 

[mjpayne]

No. Why do you ask?

Just curious since I don't recall seeing any exceptions for poisonous alcohols not designed for consumption.

 

[quincy]

Just curious since I don't recall seeing any exceptions for poisonous alcohols not designed for consumption.

If you are pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving, and you have an open container of rubbing alcohol in your vehicle, it is possible for you to be charged.

Rubbing alcohol can be consumed and you can get drunk from drinking it - and it generally won't kill you. In fact, a few years ago in New Jersey, some bars and restaurants got into trouble for diluting their expensive alcohol with rubbing alcohol.

 

[mjpayne]

If you are pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving, and you have an open container of rubbing alcohol in your vehicle, it is possible for you to be charged.

Rubbing alcohol can be consumed and you can get drunk from drinking it - and it generally won't kill you. In fact, a few years ago in New Jersey, some bars and restaurants got into trouble for diluting their expensive alcohol with rubbing alcohol.

It's a cologne spray bottle in a dash compartment. I think they're made on the same base as rubbing alcohol. The bottle is not sealed in its original packaging since I've used it before. It wouldn't be found unless the cops searched the car. I was just wondering if, in a case where the car is searched/impounded for some reason, if it could be used against me under that statute.

 

[adjusterjack]

It's a cologne spray bottle in a dash compartment. I think they're made on the same base as rubbing alcohol. The bottle is not sealed in its original packaging since I've used it before. It wouldn't be found unless the cops searched the car. I was just wondering if, in a case where the car is searched/impounded for some reason, if it could be used against me under that statute.

Anything's possible.

A smart person would leave it home and not take any chances.

Are you smart?

 

[LdiJ]

It's a cologne spray bottle in a dash compartment. I think they're made on the same base as rubbing alcohol. The bottle is not sealed in its original packaging since I've used it before. It wouldn't be found unless the cops searched the car. I was just wondering if, in a case where the car is searched/impounded for some reason, if it could be used against me under that statute.

Unless you are stopped for being under the influence, I think it highly unlikely that the police will consider a spray bottle of cologne to be an "open container"...and if they did, I think it highly unlikely that a DA would prosecute with nothing more than that...and if one did, I think that a judge or jury would be highly unlikely to convict.

And unlike Quincy and his observations I know people (when I was in college) who died from drinking drinks with rubbing alcohol in them...and there were also tourists in Cancun who died a few months ago from drinks spiked with rubbing alcohol. Therefore I would never want anyone reading this thread to ever think that they could safely drink something with rubbing alcohol in it.

 

[quincy]

It's a cologne spray bottle in a dash compartment. I think they're made on the same base as rubbing alcohol. The bottle is not sealed in its original packaging since I've used it before. It wouldn't be found unless the cops searched the car. I was just wondering if, in a case where the car is searched/impounded for some reason, if it could be used against me under that statute.

Anything containing alcohol that is found in your vehicle potentially could be used as evidence.

It seems unlikely that the police would charge you with cologne or rubbing alcohol possession alone, though. There would have to be some reason for believing you consumed it.

It is safest and best not to use products in ways not intended.

 

[mjpayne]

Anything's possible.

A smart person would leave it home and not take any chances.

Are you smart?

Well, if I new I'd get arrested for it, I'd stay home, period. I was asking because it's a good idea to have something like this in case I went out on a hot day and needed to go back into work after sweating.

 

[quincy]

Here from an alcohol treatment center is information on rubbing alcohol:
https://sdtreatmentcenter.com/alcoholism/rubbing-alcohol

 

[LdiJ]

Well, if I new I'd get arrested for it, I'd stay home, period. I was asking because it's a good idea to have something like this in case I went out on a hot day and needed to go back into work after sweating.

Lots of people keep stuff like that in their cars for emergency odor improvement. Not just from sweat, but from smoking cigs or doing other smelly stuff. Check the alcohol content of stuff like that. I suspect you will find that most colognes or sprays do not have enough alcohol content to even trigger anything.

 

[mjpayne]

Lots of people keep stuff like that in their cars for emergency odor improvement. Not just from sweat, but from smoking cigs or doing other smelly stuff. Check the alcohol content of stuff like that. I suspect you will find that most colognes or sprays do not have enough alcohol content to even trigger anything.

They have plenty of alcohol:

Colognes have about 3–5% perfume oil mixed with 80–90% alcohol with about 5 to 15 percent water in the mix
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eau_de_toilette

80-90% alcohol is almost pure alcohol, far more than in beer or even vodka.