The Pacific War and Peace: Americans of Japanese Ancestry in Military Intelligence Service 1941 to 1952. San Francisco: Military Intelligence Service Association of Northern California and the National Japanese American Historical Society, 1991. Takemae, Eiji. The Allied Occupation of Japan.
Rubbing alcohol looks like water. Only small amounts are poisonous to children. It is also poisonous to adults, who sometimes substitute rubbing alcohol for drinking alcohol. Rubbing alcohol can also be toxic when inhaled. It should be used in a well-ventilated area. In addition, because it is flammable, it should always be kept away from open flame.
The primary issue is that the alcohol we drink is ethanol. Rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol isn't as toxic as some other industrial alcohols, like methanol or ethylene glycol, so it's of limited safety for consumption. But it's more toxic than ethanol, so for safety a bittering agent is added to make it unpalatable.