Deaths from Homemade Alcohol Poisoning Rise in Iran; 24 Killed and 290 Poisoned
Reports indicate a rising number of victims from consuming homemade alcoholic beverages in Iran in recent days.
The ISNA news agency reported on Saturday, September 28, citing Pirouz Hanachi, acting head of the Emergency Medical Services Organization, that according to the latest information, 290 people have been poisoned from consuming alcohol in four provinces, of which 24 have died and 3 have suffered brain death.
According to him, only 46 of those poisoned have been discharged from hospitals. Meanwhile, 15 people are undergoing treatment in intensive care units, and three people in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad have suffered brain death.
While in recent days reports of poisoning of 189 citizens in Bandar Abbas from consuming homemade alcohol and the deaths of 16 of them had been headline news, on Saturday reports emerged of 45 people poisoned in Karaj and 25 people in the two cities of Bojnord and Shirvan.
The police commander of North Khorasan also advised individuals who purchased this homemade beverage not to consume it under any circumstances and to seek medical care if they experience discomfort and symptoms of poisoning.
The announcement of 290 poisoning cases from consuming this type of beverage comes at a time when the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages is banned in Iran.
Despite police and judicial enforcement against the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Iran, statistics indicate a sharp increase in alcohol consumption in society, such that medical centers and social services have formally recognized alcohol addiction, and police have reported the arrest of approximately 3,000 drunk drivers in Tehran in just one year.
Some reports also indicate that more than 10 percent of Iranians consume alcohol, and alcohol ranks second only to cigarettes in consumption among substances.
Iranian police have prevented the entry of standard foreign alcoholic beverages and destroy discovered smuggled shipments. For this reason, consumers turn to homemade alcohol, which sometimes causes poisoning due to its non-standard nature.
The commander of Iran’s law enforcement force four years ago referred to border control to prevent alcohol sales and said: “Controlling smuggling of alcoholic beverages has increased the price of alcoholic drinks, but this has also had other unintended consequences, and if we cannot manage the demand and consumption stream, the result will be domestic production and occasional poisonings at parties; of course, I am not saying we should allow beverages to be imported, but we must pay attention to these matters as well.”
This was the first time that an Iranian police official expressed concern about alcohol poisoning and discussed managing the supply and demand of alcoholic beverages.
In recent years, reports have emerged of mass poisoning at weddings or parties from consuming homemade alcoholic beverages. In only one previous case, poisoning from homemade alcohol resulted in the deaths of 6 people and the poisoning of 348 people.
Source: Voice of America
