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Home > About Health Canada > Media Room > Advisories/Warnings > 2003

Warning

2003-18
April 10, 2003

Health Canada warns Canadians about potential lead exposure from stainless steel rum flasks

OTTAWA - Health Canada is warning Canadians that use of certain stainless steel liquor flasks may pose a lead exposure risk. The seams and the spout of the flasks in question were fastened together with solder that contains a high proportion of lead. Tests carried out by the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) on one brand of flask showed that, within 24 hours, hazardous levels of lead may leach out of the solder into liquid contained in the flasks. Therefore, anyone who drinks liquor or other liquids stored in the flasks for even short periods of time may be at risk of ingesting lead, particularly if the liquid is acidic.

Health Canada has information that gift sets containing these stainless steel flasks which may pose a lead exposure hazard were sold from 1999 to 2003 in provincial or territorial retail liquor outlets across Canada. Flasks sold in the gift sets were approximately 6 oz in size and may be wrapped with leather. Provincial and territorial liquor control boards have issued recalls for two Appleton Estate gift sets, each containing a 375-ml bottle of rum, a Bacardi White Rum gift set, and the Wiser's De Luxe Canadian Whisky gift set. Consumers are advised to contact their local retail liquor outlet for specific product recall, return and reimbursement information.

There is no lead exposure risk associated with drinking the bottled rum, whisky or other liquor included in the gift sets, provided that the liquors were not stored in the accompanying metal flask.

Although no incidents of lead poisoning following use of these flasks have been reported to date, Health Canada is advising Canadians who may have one of these flasks in their possession to stop using it immediately.

Lead is a toxic heavy metal. It can produce harmful effects on human health even at low levels of exposure. If you suspect lead poisoning from use of one of these flasks, contact your family physician who can order a blood test to measure your blood lead level.

Health Canada is investigating the import and sale of this type of liquor flask on the Canadian marketplace and will issue an update to this warning if necessary.

For further information, consumers can contact the Health Canada Product Safety Office nearest them:

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Media Inquiries:
Margot Geduld
Health Canada
(613) 957-1588

Public Inquiries:
(613) 957-2991
Date Modified: 2003-04-10 Top
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