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Tag: counterfeit alcohol

  • Tainted Alcohol To Blame For 25 Deaths In Costa Rica

    Tainted Alcohol To Blame For 25 Deaths In Costa Rica

    The death toll from tainted alcohol keeps rising in Costa Rica, with dozens more hospitalized.

    Authorities in the Central American country of Costa Rica have seized thousands of containers of alcohol and shut down some establishments that serve liquor as the death toll from methanol poisoning has climbed this summer to 25. 

    The country’s Health Ministry said in a statement that 59 people have been hospitalized in connection with the tainted alcohol; 25 of them have died. Though Costa Rica is a popular tourist destination, the Health Ministry said that nearly everyone who has been affected has been a resident of Costa Rica. 

    “The Costa Rica Tourism Institute reaffirms that no tourists have been affected by adulterated alcohol in Costa Rica, and that visitor safety is priority. The local authorities continue to monitor the situation and work to understand and remain transparent about the investigation,” Costa Rica Tourism Board representative Thalia Guest told USA Today. 

    A Tourist’s Account

    However, one American man who had recently left Costa Rica believes he was affected by the poisoning. California resident Walker Barnes, 25, told NBC News that he drank rum the night before leaving Costa Rica. When he returned home he was hospitalized for extreme pain and aches.

    At first his doctors were confused about what the condition could be, but when Barnes shared reports about the poisoned alcohol with his medical team, they agreed that it sounded like he was dealing with methanol poisoning. 

    Methanol is a type of alcohol not intended for consumption. It’s said that people will add methanol to liquor in order to increase the volume of the drink. It’s believed to be the substance poisoning people in Costa Rica. 

    In Costa Rica, most of the poisonings have been reported in San José, the capital, and in Alajuela, another city. The victims have ranged in age from 32 to 72, and have included 19 men and six women. Six brands of alcohol are known to have been affected. They are Guaro Montano, Guaro Gran Apache, Aguardiente Estrella, Aguardiente Barón Rojo, Aguardiente Timbuka, and Aguardiente Molotov. 

    Proceed With Caution

    In July, the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica urged people traveling to the country to proceed with caution when drinking, especially from the brands that have been connected with poisonings. 

    “The Embassy strongly recommends all persons avoid consuming alcohol from these brands,” the Embassy said in a statement. “The Government of Costa Rica is investigating the situation and the Embassy remains in contact Costa Rica authorities regarding the ongoing investigation.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Counterfeit Alcohol May Be Responsible For 20 Deaths In Costa Rica

    Counterfeit Alcohol May Be Responsible For 20 Deaths In Costa Rica

    The government has reportedly confiscated 30,000 bottles of alcohol that are potentially tainted. 

    Twenty people in Costa Rica have died after ingesting alcohol tainted with what is believed to be “toxic levels of methanol,” according to CNN. The twentieth victim was reported to have died Wednesday evening.

    The Ministry of Health has issued a national alert in the Central American country, following the deaths of 14 men and five women since the beginning of June.

    The deaths are believed to be the result of the tainted alcohol. The government has confiscated 30,000 bottles of alcohol likely to also be tainted. 

    Methanol is often found in counterfeit liquor, as it allows those selling the alcohol to increase the amount of liquid in a bottle as well as the potency of the bottle.

    The World Health Organization notes that outbreaks such as this one are often connected to “adulterated counterfeit or informally-produced spirit drinks.”

    Tainted Alcohol Is a Global Issue

    Costa Rica is not the only country facing an outbreak. CNN reported this past February that in India, tainted alcohol caused at least 154 deaths and 200 hospitalizations. 

    Tourists in Mexico have also faced similar circumstances in recent years. According to Vice, between December 2017 and February 2018, about 150 American tourists reported instances of losing consciousness and vomiting after ingesting alcohol at resorts in popular Mexican cities, including Cancun, Los Cabos and Playa del Carmen. 

    The Dominican Republic has also made headlines recently, where at least 10 Americans have died after consuming alcohol there in the last year. According to Vice, many tourists visiting the country have also reported getting sick, including a large group of Jimmy Buffett fans. 

    While the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking has reported that about 29% of alcohol in the Dominican Republic is counterfeit, the country’s Minister of Tourism Javier Garcia says the area is “a tranquil, peaceful destination and the safest in the region.”

    “In the last five years, the Dominican Republic has welcomed almost 30 million people, evidencing the large preference of visitors as well as the safety levels of the destination,” Garcia said during a press conference in June. “This also demonstrates these cases are isolated and regrettable. We ask the National Police to speed up as fast as possible the investigation into these cases.”

    What To Look For

    Nathan Lents, a biology expert at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, tells Vice that there are a number of precautions that tourists can take in order to stay safe while consuming alcohol in foreign countries. One is to avoid buying cheap alcohol, especially those that are clear like vodka and gin since these are easier to replicate than other alcohols.

    Lents also adds that counterfeit alcohol often has a sweeter scent than normal alcohol because of methanol, chloroform, and acetone. Setting alcohol on fire can also give away the presence of such substances, as methanol can burn green or orange rather than alcohol’s normal blue burn.

    “Or just stick with beer,” Lents says. “You don’t see a lot of this stuff popping up with beer at all. And just in case, stick with beer that you know and are familiar with.”

    View the original article at thefix.com