Drinking Death; Counterfeit Beverages Claimed 79 Lives in Fars Province

Industrial alcohol and homemade beverages continue to claim victims. The emergency services of Fars Province reported 79 deaths and 642 cases of alcohol poisoning. A judicial official in Qom says that due to religious beliefs, only two people in the city have died from consuming counterfeit beverages.

The public relations director of the Emergency Services of Fars Province announced that by Sunday morning, April 1st, 642 cases of alcohol poisoning have been registered in the province, with 79 fatalities. Hassan Hamti stated that poisoning from counterfeit beverages exists throughout the province but most cases were in Shiraz: “These individuals consumed beverages that contained industrial alcohol in their composition.”

Mohammad Javad Moradian, head of Emergency Services in Fars, mentioned the age range of poisoned individuals as between 20 and 40 years old and added that some of them have been admitted to intensive care units: “563 of these individuals are currently being treated in hospitals and medical centers throughout the province.”

Moradian reminded that consuming alcohol has no effect in preventing coronavirus infection and asked the people not to fall for propaganda related to this matter.

Meanwhile, the law enforcement commander of Fars Province announced the arrest of 8 main perpetrators involved in the preparation and distribution of homemade and counterfeit beverages. The Tasnim News Agency reported that the information forces of the Sepah Fajr discovered 50,000 liters of alcoholic beverages in recent days.

Ahmad Azimi, special prosecutor for murder at the central prosecutor’s office of Qom Province, also reported the death of two people following the consumption of counterfeit beverages and stated: “Given the religious background of Qom’s people and timely public awareness about alcohol being ineffective against coronavirus, we have witnessed only four cases of alcohol poisoning in the province, which unfortunately resulted in two deaths.”

Azimi added that virtual space propaganda in this regard is carried out with the aim of undermining people’s beliefs.

Statistics announced over the past month show that more than 300 people in various provinces of Iran have died due to consuming counterfeit beverages, and at least 2,300 people have suffered alcohol poisoning. Some individuals gargled ethyl alcohol and others consumed methyl alcohol (industrial alcohol) which is lethal.

This type of poisoning and death has been recorded in most Iranian cities and towns, but the statistics of Fars and Khuzestan provinces are leading. A few days ago, the deputy director of medical affairs at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences announced that 230 people from the beginning of Esfand to the third of Farvardin have been poisoned from consuming methanol, with 20 of them dead. Rouzbeh Rajaii announced that most of the poisoned individuals are young people under 45 years old from Tabriz and Ahar, and there are also female patients among them.

A 70-percent solution of ethanol or methyl alcohol is used for disinfection and external use. Methanol or industrial alcohol is a lethal substance used in paint manufacturing, glue production, antifreeze, or various chemical products, and even its external use must be done with gloves and a mask.

Consuming methanol or wood alcohol has side effects including dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, stomach pain, blurred vision, and blindness. After 24 hours of consuming counterfeit and homemade beverages and the breakdown of methanol in the liver, the patient experiences seizures and heart attacks. Those who survive such poisoning will face kidney, liver, and vision problems for the rest of their lives.

Medical authorities have warned that the death toll from consuming counterfeit beverages in some cities has surpassed the death toll from coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Deputy of West Azerbaijan Province announced the entry of a type of counterfeit and deadly alcohol into the market and stated in a notice that this counterfeit alcohol is sold under the brand name Pars Alcohol as 96-degree ethanol while it is actually 97-degree pure methanol: “This alcohol not only lacks disinfectant properties but also causes blindness and death when absorbed through the skin and is extremely toxic and dangerous.”

Source: DW