Methanol liquor poisoning kills 25

This week, 59 patients were treated in public hospitals due to methanol poisoning in imbibed liquor.
- Ministry of Health photo -

Published Thursday, October 22, 2020

Methanol liquor poisoning kills 25

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

This week, 59 patients were treated in public hospitals due to methanol poisoning in imbibed liquor. As of Tuesday, 25 people died, according to data from the Health Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health.

Of the deceased, 22 are men and three are women, ages range from 23 to 75-years-old. These cases have been registered in the provinces of San José, Alajuela and Cartago.

So far, there have been no reports of international tourists being affected by the wave of deaths and illnesses.

Officials from the ministry continue to carry out the operations to confiscate liquors contaminated with methanol, where 96 liquor stores have been inspected and 15,605 units of smuggled liquor contaminated with methanol have been seized.

Several cases of smuggled liquor contaminated with methanol have been recorded throughout the year. Since 2019, the ministry established a health alert on the following ten liquor brands:

• Guaro Chonete

•Guaro Cuerazo

• Guaro Sacheto

• Guaro Gran Apache

• Red Star Aguardiente

• Guaro Montano

• Barón Rojo Aguardiente

• Timbuka Aguardiente

• Aguardiente Molotov

• Guaro Fiesta Blanca

Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, was originally produced by the distillation of wood, hence the name wood alcohol.

Sometimes methanol is created accidentally by bootleggers who are trying to produce ethanol, the type of alcohol usually found in beer, wine, and liquor. Sometimes methanol is added to ethanol to boost its effect.

Methanol is toxic in two ways. First, methanol can be fatal due to effects on the central nervous system, acting as a depressant in the same manner as ethanol poisoning. Second, it metabolizes to form an acid that can cause blindness in those who drink it, as well as frequent deaths.

Because of its toxic properties, methanol was frequently used as a denaturant additive for ethanol manufactured for industrial uses to prevent the liquid from being used for drinking.

Symptoms can develop almost immediately after having imbibed the liquor. Symptoms are rapid drunkenness, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, severe headache, and lack of coordination.

Specialists make the following recommendations:

• Do not drink or buy liquor of the brands mentioned above until the alert is lifted.

• The sale of these products are forbidden until the alert is lifted.

• If any person detects the sale of this product in any store, report it to the local police or 911 line.

If any person has had a liquor of the aforementioned brands and is presenting health issues as severe vomiting, agitation, disorientation, blindness, or any other, immediately call 911.

Complaints should be made by email to carolina.quesadar@misalud.go.cr or by calling the line for the ministry at 2223-0333.

According to the ministry, in 2019, 76 people were treated for suspected poisoning by drinking liquor with methanol. Of these, 29 people died, where 22 were men and seven were women. There were 23 Costa Ricans, 4 Nicaraguan, and two-people whose nationalities were not disclosed because they were homeless, according to the ministry.

A.M. Costa Rica urges readers to share this alert with their contacts.

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