The authorities need to strengthen management and supervision, not allow fake alcohol and mixed alcohol to spread the market, threatening people’s lives.
It is difficult to distinguish methanol from ethanol with the naked eye except for the sweeter, easier to drink feeling.
Experts, director at the Poison Control Centre Hospital, said alcohol poisoning comes in two forms: conventional alcohol poisoning (ethanol) and methanol industrial alcohol poisoning.
Ordinary alcohol poisoning (alcohol cooked from cereals) is caused by excessive drinking of alcohol, causing the body to lose control, there is a feeling of euphoria, mild irritation.
If taken in excess, the patient will experience severe poisoning with symptoms of nervous excitability, hypoglycemia, hypotension, hypothermia, even respiratory failure, deep coma.
Some severe cases cause brain damage, sequelae of coma, kidney failure and death.
In case of industrial alcohol poisoning methanol, which has a very high toxicity, acting mainly on the nerves.
Once in the body, methanol is converted into formaldehyde and then formic acid, which will attack the brain, eyes, optic nerves.
However, “it is difficult to distinguish alcohol containing methanol and ethanol with the naked eye,” said experts, lecturer in Chemistry, at the University of Fire Protection.
In addition, according to experts, methanol is very similar to ordinary ethanol alcohol, even sweet, easier to drink.
When first drinking, the patient also feels similar to drunk, so it is easy to confuse, with the naked eye it is difficult to distinguish these two types.
The majority of methanol-related poisonings have occurred as a result of drinking beverages contaminated with impurities and methanol.
The reason is that methanol is illegally “smuggled” out, mixed into alcohol for illegal business purposes, not controlled by the authorities …
Others buy antiseptic alcohol (medical alcohol) mixed with water into drinking alcohol, without knowing that this antiseptic alcohol is accidentally mixed with methanol.
From August 4 to August 8, 11 patients with alcohol poisoning were hospitalized for treatment, of which two died, one schoolgirl with diffuse lesions on both sides of the cerebral hemispheres, severe condition,life-threatening.
