Deadly gulp: how artisanal alcohol can be dangerous
The trip to the sea turned into a tragedy for tourists: 10 people were poisoned to death by tea bought at the market in Sirius. Among them were two families vacationing in the Kuban: they took alcohol with them. One woman was taken off the train in serious condition, and she died in the hospital, and her husband fell into a coma and subsequently did not survive either. The sellers of the dangerous drink have already been arrested — as it turned out, they were exposing artisanal booze from an unknown manufacturer under the guise of homemade alcohol. Izvestia found out the details of the incident.
Deadly chacha
10 people died after drinking "homemade" chacha: they bought the poisonous drink at a grocery market in Sirius, the united press service of the courts of the Krasnodar Territory reported. In addition, four people are in intensive care in serious condition. The representative of the regional Investigative Committee noted that there could be more victims.
According to Izvestia, among the dead was a family from the Moscow region, almost in full: people came to relatives in Sochi. They wanted to barbecue in nature and bought a bottle of chacha at the market. Everyone drank quite a bit, but it was enough for severe poisoning.
"On Thursday they drank it, and on Friday they felt sick. They were taken to the hospital and almost immediately admitted to the intensive care unit. And then, one by one, they died within three days, except for my uncle's wife," said the son of one of the dead women named Vsevolod.
Another victim of Chacha was a married couple from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, who were vacationing in the Kuban. As a relative of the victims explained to REN TV, Maxim and Daria were on vacation with their two daughters and decided to try chacha from the market before leaving.
"Maxim called us this morning and said that Dasha was gone. She was hospitalized from the train and taken to the hospital, where she died," the man said.
Then Maxim himself needed help: the tourist was given several ivs in the hospital, but he fell into a coma and died soon after. The orphaned girls have been picked up by relatives who will take them home.
Also, according to the Interior Ministry, two tourists from Chelyabinsk died after drinking chacha. They drank it after returning home, and the doctors could not save the women.
Izvestia sent requests to Rospotrebnadzor, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor's office of the Krasnodar Territory.
Arrest of suspects
The press service of the Interior Ministry told Izvestia that after the incident, the police detained two local women who worked at the Kazachy market.
According to investigators, the 71-year-old woman and her relative were not selling homemade wine and chacha at the market, but artisanal alcohol produced by unidentified people, while they passed off the drinks as homemade. A criminal case was opened against them on the grounds of a crime under Part 3 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Production, storage and sale of goods that do not meet safety requirements"), one of the detainees had previously been convicted of a similar crime.
The next day, the court arrested both suspects. The women admitted their guilt.
"It was an unintentional crime.… We are aware of the full scale of the tragedy," one of them said.
Meanwhile, the police, with the support of the Russian Guard, conducted raids on the market, seized alcoholic beverages and sent them for research. Experts are now identifying the manufacturer of the surrogate alcohol and other persons involved in the sale.
The regional headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs added that such traders are found all along the coast. Recently, police stopped a car with a trunk full of bottles of homemade chacha, wine and cognac. In total, there were 161 liters of alcohol in it, which was sent for examination. The drinks were sold by a 55-year-old native of Abkhazia, who is now being investigated.
What is the danger of homemade alcohol?
The main danger of alcohol bought by hand is that a person cannot make sure of its safety, explains Mikhail Kutushov, a toxicologist, to Izvestia. And under the guise of homemade wine or chacha, there can easily be a substitute that contains methyl alcohol, ethylene glycol (used in antifreeze), dichloroethane and other toxic compounds. They may not differ in color and smell from regular alcohol, but even in minimal doses they cause severe poisoning.
According to Dmitry Karpenko, associate professor of the Department of Polyclinic Therapy at the Institute of Clinical Medicine at Pirogov University, methanol, which usually causes death, is not used for food consumption, it is used in the chemical industry as a solvent. In the body, it promotes the production of compounds that kill nerve tissue, can lead to blindness, coma, and even death.
— The consequences depend on the dose of the drink taken and the concentration of harmful substances in it, — says Karpenko.
At the same time, adds toxicologist Mikhail Kutusho, the safety of homemade drinks depends on how accurately the production technology is followed. For example, moonshine, when properly distilled, usually does not contain deadly impurities. But a violation of technology can lead to the formation of toxic substances — fusel oils, acetone, and in the worst case— the same methanol.
— Symptoms of poisoning include severe weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, visual impairment, confusion. If they appear, you must immediately call an ambulance. Before the arrival of doctors, the stomach should be rinsed, sorbents (for example, activated charcoal) should be given to the victim and rest should be ensured. But in no case should we expect that it will "pass by itself".: It can cost lives," the Izvestia source emphasizes.
The side of the law
Rosalokoltabakcontrol told Izvestia that any home-made alcohol can only be used for its own needs. As soon as an artisanal producer starts selling the fruits of his labor, that is, illegally manufactured beverages, he violates the law and may be subject to criminal or administrative liability.
— Legal alcohol is never sold in non—stationary retail facilities — stalls, tents, - by hand. The purchase and consumption of illegal alcohol is a real threat to health and life," the press service of the department notes.
At the same time, Oleg Pavlov, head of the Public Council at Rospotrebnadzor, added that consumers should assess the risks themselves and understand that in such places no one can guarantee them the quality and safety of the raw materials used and the finished product. Moreover, not only strong alcohol is dangerous, but also wines and low-alcohol drinks.
"Therefore, it is better to purchase alcoholic beverages only in stores or catering establishments where cash registers are used, and it is also necessary to check for excise stamps and Honest Mark markings (for low—alcohol beverages)," Pavlov emphasizes.
In the case of the sale of homemade alcohol or other alcohol without applying federal special stamps, as well as in the case of the sale of alcoholic products by a store without a license, Izvestia's interlocutors recommend contacting the police or leaving a complaint about the violation on the website "Unified Social Portal" or through the application "Anti-counterfeit Alcohol".
Lawyer Sean Betrozov also advises sending a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor and the regional authority that issued alcohol licenses (in the Krasnodar Territory, this is the consumer market and licensing department). These authorities can carry out an inspection and impose a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles, and in case of detection of signs of a crime, transfer the materials to the investigative authorities.
— If you are in a resort area, you should also inform the municipality administration where the outlet is located. Local authorities, aware of violations, can initiate inspections of the market or fair," the lawyer says. In normal times, he notes, such checks are often carried out selectively or formally — spontaneous trade flourishes in resort towns, and sometimes this becomes a serious problem.
Rospotrebnadzor did not comment on the situation to Izvestia, but sent it to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Punishment for a crime
The rules of alcohol turnover in Russia are fixed in Federal Law No. 171-FZ, which contains strict requirements for participants in the alcohol market, explains lawyer Sean Betrozov. The seller must have a retail license, comply with storage conditions, not sell alcohol to persons under the age of 18, and not sell at prohibited times. Additionally, there are a number of sanitary standards, technical regulations and provisions of the Civil and Criminal Codes. In particular, for the sale of products that do not meet safety requirements, liability may arise under art. 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
— If serious health consequences or death have occurred as a result of drinking such alcohol, as in this case, the punishment can reach 10 years in prison. That is why the legal alcohol market is strictly licensed and controlled by the state," the lawyer notes.
If a person has been poisoned by alcohol, Betrozov recommends that they seek medical help immediately, but at the same time keep the remaining alcohol and packaging for further examination.
— It is also necessary to inform the police about the incident. If there is a reason, a criminal case will be initiated, and the perpetrators will be held accountable," the lawyer notes.
According to him, in the future, the victim or his representative should record the damage caused. Medical documents, extracts from the medical history, and doctors' reports will become the basis for filing a claim for compensation for harm to health. In case of death, relatives have the right to demand compensation for moral damage and funeral expenses.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
