Methanol outbreaks
Outbreaks of methanol poisoning have occurred when methanol is used to adulterate moonshine (bootleg liquor).
Methanol has a high toxicity in humans. If as little as 10 mL of pure methanol is ingested, for example, it can break down into formic acid, which can cause permanent blindness by destruction of the optic nerve, and 30 mL is potentially fatal, although the median lethal dose is typically 100 mL (3.4 fl oz) (i.e. 1-2 mL/kg body weight of pure methanol). Reference dose for methanol is 0.5 mg/kg/day. Toxic effects take hours to start, and effective antidotes can often prevent permanent damage.
Czech Republic
The 2012 Czech Republic methanol poisonings occurred in September 2012 in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Over the course of several days, 38 people in the Czech Republic and 4 people in Poland died as a result of methanol poisoning and several tens of others were taken to hospital.
Estonia
The Pärnu methanol tragedy occurred in Pärnu county, Estonia, in September 2001, when 68 people died and 43 were left disabled after contents of stolen methanol canisters were used in production of bootleg liquor.
India
India has a thriving moonshine industry, and methanol-tainted batches have killed over 1,000 people in the last 3 decades.
* 1981: About 308 people in Karnataka, see 1981 Karnataka liquor deaths.
* 1992: More than 200 people in Odisha, see 1992 Odisha liquor deaths.
* 2001: 27 deaths in Bombay.
* 2006: 22 people killed in Ganjam district, Orissa.
* 2008: 148 people in Karnataka & Tamil Nadu, December. see 2008 Karnataka-Tamil Nadu hooch tragedy
* 2009: 27 people killed in Kolkata, West Bengal
* 2009: 29 people killed in Uttar Pradesh
* 2009: 136 people in Gujarat, July, see 2009 Gujarat alcohol poisonings.
* 2009: >30 deaths, Delhi.
* 2011: 170 people in Sangrampur, December, see Sangrampur methanol tragedy.
* 2012: 17 deaths, Andhra Pradesh.
* 2013: 40 people died in Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh.
Libya
At least 51 people died in Tripoli in 2013. The consumption and sale of alcohol is Haram (illegal) in Libya.
Turkey
In Istanbul, 21 people died in 2004 and 23 people died in 2005.<ref name="who"/> In 2011, five people died in an incident in the Turkish Riviera.
Methanol has a high toxicity in humans. If as little as 10 mL of pure methanol is ingested, for example, it can break down into formic acid, which can cause permanent blindness by destruction of the optic nerve, and 30 mL is potentially fatal, although the median lethal dose is typically 100 mL (3.4 fl oz) (i.e. 1-2 mL/kg body weight of pure methanol). Reference dose for methanol is 0.5 mg/kg/day. Toxic effects take hours to start, and effective antidotes can often prevent permanent damage.
Czech Republic
The 2012 Czech Republic methanol poisonings occurred in September 2012 in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Over the course of several days, 38 people in the Czech Republic and 4 people in Poland died as a result of methanol poisoning and several tens of others were taken to hospital.
Estonia
The Pärnu methanol tragedy occurred in Pärnu county, Estonia, in September 2001, when 68 people died and 43 were left disabled after contents of stolen methanol canisters were used in production of bootleg liquor.
India
India has a thriving moonshine industry, and methanol-tainted batches have killed over 1,000 people in the last 3 decades.
* 1981: About 308 people in Karnataka, see 1981 Karnataka liquor deaths.
* 1992: More than 200 people in Odisha, see 1992 Odisha liquor deaths.
* 2001: 27 deaths in Bombay.
* 2006: 22 people killed in Ganjam district, Orissa.
* 2008: 148 people in Karnataka & Tamil Nadu, December. see 2008 Karnataka-Tamil Nadu hooch tragedy
* 2009: 27 people killed in Kolkata, West Bengal
* 2009: 29 people killed in Uttar Pradesh
* 2009: 136 people in Gujarat, July, see 2009 Gujarat alcohol poisonings.
* 2009: >30 deaths, Delhi.
* 2011: 170 people in Sangrampur, December, see Sangrampur methanol tragedy.
* 2012: 17 deaths, Andhra Pradesh.
* 2013: 40 people died in Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh.
Libya
At least 51 people died in Tripoli in 2013. The consumption and sale of alcohol is Haram (illegal) in Libya.
Turkey
In Istanbul, 21 people died in 2004 and 23 people died in 2005.<ref name="who"/> In 2011, five people died in an incident in the Turkish Riviera.
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