India toxic alcohol kills 48 in West Bengal

[King Of Hearts]

What they need is legalizaztion and a Moonshiners Tv Show. Very few people die where alcohol is legal, except college kids who were never allowed or taught how to drink.

The liquor is usually spiked with methyl alcohol and industrial spirits which can lead to fits, vomiting and death. Gujarat is the only state in India where alcohol is totally prohibited by law. Gujarat has taken the strongest action on toxic liquor with its new law, which it says is intended to deter those involved in the illegal trade.

At least 48 people have died after consuming toxic alcohol in India's West Bengal state, police say.

Several residents of the Magrahat, Usthi and Mandirbazar areas in South 24 Parganas district fell ill after drinking the alcohol on Tuesday night. Four people have been arrested.

Some 100 others are being treated in hospital in the Diamond Harbour area, with fears the death toll could rise.

Toxic alcohol deaths are a regular occurrence in India.

Last week, the state of Gujarat brought in a new law making the illegal manufacture and sale of toxic alcohol there punishable by death.

Ransacked About 70 people are in a critical condition, state government minister Shyamal Mandal told the BBC.

"More and more people are turning up with symptoms of liquor poisoning and one local hospital is now overcrowded," district administrator NS Nigam told the AFP news agency.

Gujarat is one state that has taken drastic action to try to prevent toxic alcohol deaths
Some of the critically ill had been transferred to Calcutta, he said.

Medicine and doctors were being rushed to the Diamond Harbour hospital.

Four breweries were ransacked after the deaths began to be reported, AFP quoted officials as saying.

Illegal alcohol - commonly called desi daroo or country-made liquor in India - usually costs as little as 10 rupees (20 US cents) and the majority of the consumers are poor, daily-wage workers.

The liquor is usually spiked with methyl alcohol and industrial spirits which can lead to fits, vomiting and death.

India has witnessed many incidents of toxic alcohol deaths.

At least 10 people killed in Tamil Nadu in February 2010
At least 30 people killed in Uttar Pradesh in September 2009
Some 107 people killed in Gujarat in July 2009

[Samohon]

These pieces of news are always sad to hear Burbankbrewer... So many lives lost and for what, to turn a quick buck?
Not to sound selfish and unsympathetic to those poor souls, but it dont do the hobby any good either...

I'd make the makers drink their own poison....

[moonshiner dave]

Looks like it's up to 143 now.

http://news.yahoo.com/bootleg-liquor-ki ... 30822.html

The bootleggers, working in homes, hidden warehouses and even in forests, can turn 1 liter of genuine alcohol into 1,000 liters of bootlegged swill with chemicals and additives that usually cause no harm, but on occasion can lead to tragedy, he said.

Seriously?

Edited once to add quote.

[Odin]

The problem is not the actual alcohol. Even making the worst you can and then distilling it without making cuts will not get you killed (heavily hung over, yes). It is the chemicals they use to up the ABV, as I understand it. The actual ABV does not go up, but some chemicals will probably influence readings and like that very cheap supposedly very strong likker can be sold. Only it is not strong likker, but poison.

Samohon, yeah, let them drink their own, those idiots that do this. And after finishing an obligatory cigaret. No cremations needed, for sure.

Problem for us is (only minor compared to the people drinking the stuff) is that it makes illegal distilling look worse. Like this: "See, I told you it is not safe!"

Odin.

[heynonny]

In a similar vein:
When I was stationed in Thailand (USAF)(1960's) there was an incident where one of the civilian thais working in the Hydraulics shop stole some Hydraulic fluid and sold it in the local markets as cooking oil. It looks(ed) like ATF and how the people would consider using it was beyond me, but several people died from using it. -hey-

[Prairiepiss]

Hey let's make it illegal to drink. Then when it turns everyone into alcoholics we will make the laws tougher. Stupid!

When you tell someone they can't do something. They just want to do it more. So then they find a way to do it.

Look past your damn beliefs and help your people. Yes even the pore ones too.

[blind drunk]

I tried moonshine in India many years ago. I didn't know any better at the time. We used to order it through some guy and whatever we ordered, whether whiskey, gin or rum, it all tasted exactly the same. I had the common sense to not continue drinking it. Every time I hear about one of these stories, I feel lucky. Too bad the same can't be said for the hundreds that have died and the hundreds that will continue to die in the future.

[Odin]

Mr P, you have a point. I remember my skiing holidays in Austria. And especially the busloads full of Sweeds. Within an hour of arival, they would colapse from bilge drinking at the hotel bar. And that would continue the whole week. Prohibition in Scandinavia ...

Odin.

[Swede]

And especially the busloads full of Sweeds. Within an hour of arival, they would colapse from bilge drinking at the hotel bar.

Odin.

Hey............ What???????

LOL, yeah, must be in my genes

[Prairiepiss]

I've seen it in a few places.
Saudi Arabia they would drive over the bridge to Bahrain where it was legal. And drink themselves into a stooper.

Arkansas has many dry countys. They would flock the liquor stores just outside the county lines. The fist and fifteenth of every month was stupid. I would always turn on my scanner on those nights. They would keep the cops going crazy.

Kansas up until 2 years ago you couldn't buy alcohol on Sunday or holidays. So after drinking the last of the alcohol from Saturday night. Drunks would go across the border to Missouri where they sell hard liquor at convenience stores. And stock up. And drink on the way home.

All of this stupidity because someone thinks their beliefs are what everyone should follow and think they can protect everyone from themselves. When in fact they make it worse.

I need to shut up now. And get another drink.

[MDH]

This whole thing really reminds me of America's "War on Drugs". They are just making things worse. You would think that they would look at what happened with prohibition and get a clue.

[ShadowLurker]

Desi daroo is a pretty cool name for a drink though. That much I have to admit.

[astronomical]

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/b ... 59789.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I love how the advertisement on the article is for PEX supply. Perhaps they are trying to tell us something? Build a still?

Very dry humor. Just how I like it.