Authorities has registered 64 people in medical treatment for suspected poisoning by drinking liquor with methanol, of these, 25 people have already died / A.M. Costa Rica wire services photo.
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More than 30 shops closed for selling prohibited liquor linked to deaths from methanol poisoning
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Ministry of Health reported the closure of 33 stores due to the sale of liquors that were banned for possible contamination with methanol.
According to the Ministry, there were nine stores in Cartago, fourteen in Limon, five in San Jose, and five in Alajuela.
Also, with the support of the Fiscal Control Police, 64, 956 bottles of possibly tainted alcohol have been seized.
The ministry has registered 64 people in medical treatment for suspected poisoning by drinking liquor with methanol. Of these, 25 people have already died, 19 men and six women.
There were 22 Costa Ricans, one Nicaraguan, and two-people whose nationality has not been determined because they were homeless, according to the ministry.
So far, there have been no reports of foreign tourists being affected by the wave of deaths and illnesses.
As A.M. Costa Rica has been reporting, the alert is for the sales of bottled liquor of the following nine brands: Chonete, Gran Apache, Estrella Roja, Montano, Baron Rojo, Timbuka, Molotov, Cuerazo, and Sacheto.
"According to laboratory sample results, those brands were tainted with methanol," said the ministry in its statement.
With additional research, the specialists found the rest of the brands listed above, which are also tainted with methanol.
According to specialists, some of these brands have permits for sale; however, "it is suspected that counterfeit products of these brands are in the market," said the ministry in its statement.
Given the impossibility of distinguishing between original and fake liquors, and using the precautionary principle, an order to prohibit the sale or consumption of any of these liquors announced.
"The people or companies that are producing or selling these liquors are to be sanctioned administratively and criminally," said the ministry in its statement.
Any store, bar, restaurant, supermarket, or any outlet which sells, stocks or uses those liquors, in any way, would be closed.
Police announced that officers will continue with more liquor seizures.
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, originally was produced chiefly 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 drunk the liquor. They are rapid drunkenness, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, severe headache, and lack of coordination.
Specialists make the following recommendations:
- Do not consume or buy the brands mentioned above until the alert is lifted.
- The sale of those brands is forbidden until the alert is lifted.
- If any person detects the sale of this product in any store, he or she must report the sale of this product to the local police. Complaints can also be made by phone (506) 2233-2854.
The A.M. Costa Rica team continues to ask readers to share this alert among their contacts.
-------------------------- Have you seen these brands of liquor being sold in your community? We would like to know your thoughts on this story.
Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
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