If alcohol is so effective at killing bacteria/viruses, why isn’t it used more often in medication?

Question

I got quite good answers. thanks to everyone for participating.

In: 2573

Answer 1

Ethyl alcohol is used as a solute to make stuff like cough syrup and as sweeteners in medicine.

Isopropyl alcohol, the stuff you use to clean hands and surfaces, that stuff kills nearly everything it touches. This would include your own cells if you ingested/injected it as medication. There’s a reason why rubbing alcohol has a warning label on it.

Edit: Not Ethanol, had a brain fart.