the idea of drinking counterfeit alcohol is indeed terrifying, and it looks like it’s about to get even scarier. We first heard of the concept amid the tourist passings happening in the Dominican Republic. Now, Costa Rican officials are shelling out warnings about alcoholic beverages on the island.
According to Fox News, at least 19 people have passed away in Costa Rica since early June. Costa Rican officials are convinced the cause of death is alcohol tainted with methanol.
In a report, the Costa Rican Health Ministry says 14 men and five women ranging from ages 32 to 72 have passed away after drinking allegedly tainted liquor on the island.
“The Ministry of Health continues to carry out operations throughout the national territory in order to reduce the exposure of consumers to adulterated products,” the ministry says in a statement.
Government officials have reportedly seized around 30,000 bottles of liquor from brands suspected of containing methanol. Although methanol is commonly found in fermented drinks, it can be very dangerous if consumed in large quantities.
Dr. Sevi Nampiaparampil, an associate professor at the NYU School of Medicine, tells Fox that methanol is typically used in windshield wiper fluid, and is deadly.
“The problem with methanol is that it’s so much more dangerous than alcohol,” she says. “It can make you blind, it can damage your kidneys and you might not even realize this at first and then you can die.”
Although the side effects of drinking methanol are severe, Dr. Nampiaparampil says symptoms might not be seen immediately. She says it could take days for a person to feel sick, which is why it’s difficult to track tainted alcohol as a cause of death.
“Let’s say you drink too much alcohol, you might know pretty much in a couple of hours that you’re sick,” she says. “Methanol you might not realize it right away, it can happen days later.”
Costa Rican officials have issued warnings to people on the island to stay away from specific brands of alcohol until their investigation is complete.
by Brianne@theshaderoom.com