Global Outbreaks of Methanol Poisoning Result in Thousands of Deaths and Life-Altering Injuries
A surge in methanol poisoning linked to illicit alcohol has caused thousands of deaths and left countless others with permanent disabilities worldwide, a crisis largely unfolding outside international headlines. According to data compiled by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), approximately 10,000 people have died from methanol poisoning in Iran over the last two decades.India has recorded another 6,500 deaths, with outbreaks disproportionately impacting its rural poor. Turkey has experienced a especially severe wave of poisonings in the past year, resulting in over 160 fatalities.
Methanol, a toxic industrial alcohol, is sometimes used to illegally bulk up or substitute for ethanol in alcoholic beverages, drastically lowering production costs. Even small amounts of methanol can cause blindness, brain damage, and death. The problem is exacerbated in countries where alcohol is heavily taxed or subject to restrictive regulations, driving consumers towards cheaper, unregulated alternatives.
In Turkey, goverment policies under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s AKP party – including increased taxes on spirits and bans on alcohol advertising – have fueled a thriving black market for illicit alcohol. “Nowhere else in the world does the tax on a product exceed the price of the product itself. Here it is indeed three, five, even 10 times higher,” says Ozgur Aybas, head of the Turkish Tekel (liquor) stores platform. A bottle of raki, a popular anise-flavored spirit, can cost £28 in a Turkish grocery store, a significant expense given the country’s minimum wage of around £470 per month.
The normalization of these tragedies is deeply concerning, according to residents. “We’re not shocked any more when we see in the news that 10 people died in a restaurant,” says Gökhan Genç, a resident of Ankara. “It’s become normalised.”
