More than 700 Iranians killed by methanol poison, used as a cure for Corona

More than 700 Iranians killed by methanol poison, used as a cure for Corona

On Monday, a false belief in the treatment of toxic methanol to coronavirus killed more than 700 people in Iran, an official said. This represents a death toll far higher than the figures released by the Iranian Ministry of Health.

Adviser to the ministry Hussain Hasnian said the difference in the number of deaths was due to the fact that some alcoholics died outside the hospital.

Alcohol poisoning in Iran has increased tenfold in the past year, according to an official report released earlier in April, amid corona virus epidemics.

The National Coroner's Authority says 728 Iranians died from alcohol poisoning between February 20 and April 7, with only 66 deaths from alcohol poisoning last year, according to the report.

In addition, 525 people have died from swallowing poisonous methanol alcohol since February 20, said Kianosh Jahanpur, a spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Health. It was reported by state TV on Monday.

A total of 5,011 people were poisoned with methanol alcohol, Jahanpur said.

About 90 people have lost their eyesight or are suffering from eye damage due to alcohol, he added.

Methanol in beverages cannot be smelled or tasted. This delays the organs and the brain damage. Symptoms include chest pain, nausea, hyperventilation, blindness and even coma.

In Iran, the government has ordered that toxic methanol manufacturers add synthetic dyes to their products so that the public can identify it in addition to ethanol, a type of alcohol that can be used to clean wounds. Ethanol is found in alcoholic beverages, although its production is illegal in Iran.

Some bootleggers in Iran use methanol, adding a bleach stain to mask the color before selling it for drink. Methanol can also contaminate traditionally fermented wines.

Alcohol is generally banned in Iran. However, minority Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians can drink alcohol privately.

Following the outbreak of the corona virus, the Iranian government has announced that it will soon issue permits to new alcohol factories. There are currently about 40 distilleries in Iran dedicated to pharmaceutical and cleaning equipment.