What happens when people try to get drunk from products never meant to be consumed? In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns explains the forensic reality of non-beverage alcohol intoxication, from mouthwash and rubbing alcohol to antifreeze and even hairspray. He shares real cases and describes what these substances do to the body and how medical examiners determine cause and manner of death. What starts as a story about a childhood friend and bottles of Listerine leads into a forensic look at the deadly consequences of ingesting everyday household products.



If you or someone you know needs support for substance use, emotional distress, or thoughts of self-harm, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the U.S.



Highlights

(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns

(0:15) “Minty Fresh”: the childhood friend who drank Listerine and even tried hairspray

(1:30) Household products people drink when regular alcohol is not available

(2:15) Why Listerine became the focus: easy access, high alcohol content, and deaths tied to mouthwash

(3:15) Alcohol by volume vs. proof: a quick lesson on intoxication math

(4:30) Acute alcohol poisoning: how blood alcohol rises, what overdose looks like, and when it turns fatal

(6:30) Mouthwash case study: a chronic alcohol user drinks multiple bottles of Listerine and is found collapsed at home

(7:30) High anion gap metabolic acidosis: what it is and why it explained the Listerine death

(11:00) Rubbing alcohol: a common toxic ingestion, including the risk of using isopropyl alcohol on children with a fever

(13:00) Antifreeze deaths: alcohol misuse, suicide, homicide, and why ethylene glycol is so dangerous

(15:45) Hairspray as a non-beverage alcohol, the “Ocean” preparation, and Dr. Crowns’ closing message



About the Host: 

Dr. Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationallyrecognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings unparalleled insight into the strange, grisly, and sometimes absurd realities of forensic pathology.



About the Show

Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations.



Connect and Learn More

Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on Linkedin. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and follow Mayhem in the Morgue where you get your podcasts. If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review.

What happens when people try to get drunk from products never meant to be consumed? In this&nbsp;episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns explains the&nbsp;forensic reality of non-beverage alcohol intoxication, from mouthwash and rubbing alcohol to&nbsp;antifreeze and even hairspray. He shares real cases and describes what these substances do to&nbsp;the body and how medical examiners determine cause and manner of death. What starts as a&nbsp;story about a childhood friend and bottles of Listerine leads into a forensic look at the deadly&nbsp;consequences of ingesting everyday household products. 
If you or someone you know needs support for substance use, emotional distress, or thoughts&nbsp;of self-harm, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline in the U.S. 
Highlights
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:15) &ldquo;Minty Fresh&rdquo;: the childhood friend who drank Listerine and even tried hairspray
(1:30) Household products people drink when regular alcohol is not available
(2:15) Why Listerine became the focus: easy access, high alcohol content, and deaths tied&nbsp;to mouthwash
(3:15) Alcohol by volume vs. proof: a quick lesson on intoxication math
(4:30) Acute alcohol poisoning: how blood alcohol rises, what overdose looks like, and when&nbsp;it turns fatal
(6:30) Mouthwash case study: a chronic alcohol user drinks multiple bottles of Listerine and&nbsp;is found collapsed at home
(7:30) High anion gap metabolic acidosis: what it is and why it explained the Listerine death
(11:00) Rubbing alcohol: a common toxic ingestion, including the risk of using isopropyl&nbsp;alcohol on children with a fever
(13:00) Antifreeze deaths: alcohol misuse, suicide, homicide, and why ethylene glycol is so&nbsp;dangerous
(15:45) Hairspray as a non-beverage alcohol, the &ldquo;Ocean&rdquo; preparation, and Dr. Crowns&rsquo;&nbsp;closing message 
About the Host:&nbsp;
Dr. Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationallyrecognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort&nbsp;Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies&nbsp;and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to&nbsp;Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings unparalleled insight into the strange,&nbsp;grisly, and sometimes absurd realities of forensic pathology. 
About the Show
Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom.&nbsp;Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations. 
Connect and Learn More
Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on Linkedin. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and follow Mayhem in the Morgue where you get your podcasts. If you liked this episode, don&rsquo;t keep it to yourself&mdash;follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review.

It's chaos, blood and body parts. Join Dr. Kendall Crowns each week as he discusses stories and cases from his over 35-year journey of death from the tornado alley of Kansas, the bloody Memphis shoreline of the muddy Mississippi river, the ultra-violence of Chicago, and finally the Methamphetamine fueled insanity of Texas -- encompassing his days as an autopsy tech, medical student, resident/fellow and finally as a medical examiner. Stories range from humorous to horrifying and cover a wide variety of topics from week to week. You will never know what you will hear, be it courtroom drama, decapitations, gangland shootings, feet with no body, or chihuahuas feasting on the flesh of decomposing bodies. The cases will never end. It will always be different and there is never a dull moment. So, tune in each week and climb aboard, your nightmares will never be the same

It's chaos, blood and body parts. Join Dr. Kendall Crowns each week as he discusses stories and cases from his over 35-year journey of death from the tornado alley of Kansas, the bloody Memphis shoreline of the muddy Mississippi river, the ultra-violence of Chicago, and finally the Methamphetamine fueled insanity of Texas -- encompassing his days as an autopsy tech, medical student, resident/fellow and finally as a medical examiner. Stories range from humorous to horrifying and cover a wide variety of topics from week to week. You will never know what you will hear, be it courtroom drama, decapitations, gangland shootings, feet with no body, or chihuahuas feasting on the flesh of decomposing bodies. The cases will never end. It will always be different and there is never a dull moment. So, tune in each week and climb aboard, your nightmares will never be the same

Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns

Mayhem in the Morgue | Minty Fresh

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c6769ab4-3375-48dd-95a0-b400014098b0/transcript