Generic name
Ethanol: adverse event reports filed with FDA
8,557 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2020.
- 8,557
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 380 a year
- 0
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 0 in the 12 months before
- 99.1%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 57.4% across all reports
- 87.4%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 7,479 reports · not verified by FDA
8,557 adverse event reports received by FDA list ethanol, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product, from January 2004 to February 2020. A further 643 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 0 reports listed it, and none in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 380 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
The reactions recorded most often are completed suicide (35.7%), toxicity to various agents (21.4%) and drug abuse (19.9%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 525 different terms appear across these reports. Completed suicide is recorded in 35.7% of these reports, against 0.4% of all reports in the database.
99.1% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter; 87.4% record death among the outcomes and 12% record hospitalisation, as reported. 34.9% of the reports came from physicians, and the largest patient age group is 18 to 44 (46.8%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
No report listing Ethanol was received in the five years to June 2026; the latest was received in February 2020.
By year received
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Ethanol reports recording the termall reports in the database
- Completed suicidedeath by suicide35.7%3,053
- Toxicity to various agentspoisoning or toxic effect of one or more substances21.4%1,833
- Drug abusemisuse of a medicine19.9%1,701
- Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term13.3%1,138
- Cardiac arrestthe heart stopped11.3%970
- Cardio-respiratory arrestthe heart and breathing stopped10.5%895
- Respiratory arrestbreathing stopped10.4%886
- Poisoning7.6%651
- Intentional drug misuse5.7%486
- Drug toxicity4.7%401
- Intentional overdosea deliberate overdose4.6%397
- Overdosea dose above the recommended amount4.6%390
- Exposure via ingestion3.5%296
- Multiple drug overdose3.4%287
- Suicide attempta suicide attempt2.6%224
- Alcohol use2.6%221
- Multiple drug overdose intentional2%171
- Hypotensionlow blood pressure1.9%165
- Coma1.9%163
- Somnolencedrowsiness1.8%155
- Vomitingbeing sick1.8%152
- Drug interactionan interaction between medicines1.6%135
- Alcohol poisoning1.5%131
- Intentional product misusedeliberate use not as intended1.3%109
- Loss of consciousnesspassing out1.2%106
- Tachycardiafast heart rate1.2%104
- Pulmonary oedemafluid in the lungs1.2%101
- Convulsion1.1%92
- Accidental overdosean accidental overdose1%89
Top 30 of 525 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the share of all reports in the database; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 20,646,523 reports. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 84.1% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suicide attempt | 253 | 3% |
| Ill-defined disorder | 85 | 1% |
| Completed suicide | 52 | 0.6% |
| Alcohol use | 25 | 0.3% |
| Alcohol abuse | 14 | 0.2% |
| Intentional drug misuse | 10 | 0.1% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 8,557 reports.
In context
| Measure | Ethanol | All reports |
|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 8,557 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 0 | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 99.1% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 874 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 120 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 3.9% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Completed suicide 35.7% | 0.4% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Questions about Ethanol reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Ethanol?
8,557 reports list Ethanol as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 0 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 643 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Ethanol reports?
completed suicide (35.7%), toxicity to various agents (21.4%), drug abuse (19.9%), death (13.3%) and cardiac arrest (11.3%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Ethanol was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
99.1% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 87.4% of reports include death and 12% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
physician (34.9%), other health professional (28.3%) and pharmacist (24.7%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Ethanol rising?
0 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, and none in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Ethanol was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Ethanol?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Ethanol as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (643) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.