Ministry of Health issues warning about alcohol poisoning

Recently, there have been a number of serious alcohol poisoning cases, causing many people to be hospitalized, including some deaths.

Faced with this situation, the Food Safety Department ( Ministry of Health ) has issued a recommendation for people to absolutely not buy and use alcohol of unknown origin, without labels, or alcohol with unpublished quality standards.

The Food Safety Department recommends that wine production and trading establishments absolutely do not produce or consume wines made from ingredients or alcohol that do not meet quality standards, do not have labels or have not announced quality standards. Illustrative photo

According to the Food Safety Department, the main cause of poisoning is the use of alcohol of unknown origin or alcohol mixed with industrial alcohol.

Tests have shown that some of these wines contain methanol, a highly toxic substance. Methanol (industrial alcohol) is an ingredient that can cause acute poisoning, especially if not handled properly.

Alcohol poisoning can occur when a person drinks too much ethanol in a short period of time, or drinks alcohol containing methanol. Methanol is an extremely toxic substance that can cause serious damage to the liver, brain, and other organs in the body.

Methanol is mainly used in industrial products such as paint removers, glass cleaners, and printing inks, but when it enters the body, methanol is converted into formic acid, causing severe damage to cells in the eyes and brain.

Ethanol and methanol have different chemical compositions: ethanol (C2H5OH) is fermented from starch or sugar, while methanol (CH3OH) is fermented from cellulose-containing materials such as wood.

Both types of alcohol are fermented and distilled, but methanol is more toxic and can lead to death if not detected and treated promptly.

According to medical experts, symptoms of alcohol poisoning can include blue or purple skin, especially around the lips and fingernails. Confusion, slow response, inability to walk. Difficulty maintaining consciousness, hypothermia.

Slurred speech, slurred speech, vomiting. Slow, irregular breathing, seizures. Uncontrolled urination, strong alcohol odor. Abdominal pain, bloating, numbness or weakness in one arm, leg or face.

In severe cases, the poisoned person may become comatose, suffocate, or die. Therefore, when detecting a person with the above symptoms, the patient should be taken immediately to the nearest medical facility for timely emergency care.

If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning, take the following steps: Call emergency services immediately. Contact medical facilities to report the victim's condition.

Check the victim's condition: Try to keep the victim awake and place them in a position with their head elevated.

If the victim is unconscious: Lay them on their side to avoid the possibility of choking or aspiration of vomit.

If the victim is conscious: Give the victim water to drink to reduce the alcohol concentration in the body.

Keep the victim warm: Use a clean cloth or blanket to wrap around the person to keep warm.

Notify medical personnel: Provide information about initial symptoms and the amount of alcohol the victim consumed.

To minimize the risk of alcohol poisoning, the Food Safety Department recommends that alcohol production and trading establishments absolutely do not produce or consume alcohol mixed from ingredients or alcohol that do not ensure quality, do not have labels or have not announced quality standards.

Consumers should absolutely not buy and use alcohol of unknown origin or label. Authorities, especially at the commune and ward levels, should increase inspections of alcohol production and trading establishments. Violations should be strictly handled and information about establishments violating food safety regulations should be made public.

In addition, the Food Safety Department also warned about potential risks associated with alcohol use in some food poisoning cases.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/bo-y-te-dua-ra-canh-bao-ve-tinh-trang-ngo-doc-ruou-d234558.html