Warning of alcohol poisoning at the end of the year

On December 23, the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) issued a warning about alcohol poisoning.

Accordingly, in recent times, there have been a number of alcohol poisoning cases that have caused many people to be hospitalized, including some deaths. The cause may have been due to the use of alcohol of unknown origin, and some establishments bought industrial alcohol to mix into alcohol.

Tests showed methanol (industrial alcohol) toxicity in these wine samples.

Alcohol is mainly composed of ethanol, with the chemical formula C2H5OH, while methanol has the chemical formula CH3OH. Both types of alcohol are fermented and distilled. However, while ethanol is fermented from starch or sugar, methanol is fermented from materials containing cellulose (wood).

Methanol in alcohol is an extremely toxic substance. Methanol is often used in life as a solvent in paint removers, glass cleaners, photocopier inks, etc.

Alcohol poisoning occurs when drinking too much ethanol in a short period of time or drinking too much alcohol containing methanol, leading to too much alcohol in the blood. At this time, the liver cannot excrete it in time, causing liver cell damage, parts of the brain to stop working, along with dangerous complications such as suffocation, epilepsy, hypothermia, irregular heartbeat, and even death.

Methanol is more likely to cause poisoning because the metabolic product of methanol is very toxic formic acid, which is also a major cause of alcohol poisoning, causing damage to cells in the eyes and brain.

Although not as toxic as methanol, ethanol can also cause poisoning when consumed in excess in a short period of time, or abused over a long period of time.

People with alcohol poisoning will have symptoms including: bluish or purple skin, especially around the lips and fingernails; confusion, slow reactions, inability to walk; difficulty maintaining consciousness; hypothermia; slurred speech; vomiting; slow or irregular breathing.

In severe cases, the patient may have seizures, coma, suffocation, brain damage and death. In addition, uncontrolled urination; strong body odor; abdominal pain, bloating; numbness and weakness in one arm, leg or face.

The Food Safety Department recommends that when someone is found to have the above symptoms, they should be taken to the nearest medical facility for timely treatment to avoid serious complications.

To limit alcohol poisoning, the Food Safety Department reminds establishments to absolutely not produce or trade in alcohol mixed from ingredients or alcohol that do not guarantee quality, are not labeled, and do not meet published standards.

Consumers should not buy and use unlabeled, unregulated alcohol. Authorities, especially at the commune and ward levels, need to increase inspections of alcohol production and trading establishments. Violators should be strictly and publicly punished.