BRUSH WITH DEATH; TOXIC TOOTHPASTE FEAR.

Byline: By TOM WORDEN

IRISH tourists were yesterday warned of a potentially deadly toxic substance found in a toothpaste in Spain.

Spanish police have confiscated 84,000 tubes of Tri Leaf Spearmint imported from China.

Health inspectors found some tubes contained di-ethylene glycol - which can cause vomiting, kidney failure, breathing problems, coma and even death in large doses.

The toothpaste is often given free to customers by hotels and airlines.

The Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs warned airlines and the hotels not to distribute the product.

Diethylene glycol is usually used in antifreeze but can be used to thicken toothpastes as a cheap alternative to glycerine.

Last year, more than 100 people died in Panama after ingesting the substance in medicines. The British Medical Journal described it as "a highly toxic organic solvent that causes renal failure and death when ingested".

Last month the US Food and Drug Administration advised consumers to avoid toothpaste made in China.

Spanish Medication Agency chief Cristina Avedano yesterday announced the decision to confiscate the product though she added that it was only dangerous if taken in large quantities - a small child would have to eat an entire tube to be affected.

The company, which has its headquarters in Shanghai, claims on its website: "There is no doubt that Spearmint is one of the best toothpastes available for oral hygiene."

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