774 people have died from substitute poisoning since the beginning of the year
Rospotrebnadzor fears that the non-working day regime will lead to an increase in alcohol consumption, including alcohol substitutes. “One of the most dangerous periods awaits us, when hundreds of people can become victims of methyl alcohol,” Andrei Guskov, a representative of the department, told a meeting of the Federation Council. During the discussion, it became clear that the methanol turnover, to which the “smugglers” have recently reoriented, is not regulated in any way by the state. It is very easy to buy, but it is very easy to poison: 30 milligrams is enough for a deadly result.
Photo: Alexey Merinov
Senator Sergei Ryabukhin made no secret of the fact that the convening of a meeting “on measures to combat the illegal production and circulation of alcoholic beverages” was dictated by the emergency situation in the country. In October alone, two high-profile cases of massive vodka poisoning were reported in Russia. In the Orenburg region, 35 people died, in the Sverdlovsk region 30 more. “For 5.5 years, together with the government, we have managed to inflict a series of serious blows on the alcohol mafia. Why do people continue to die in the presence of changes in legislation? – Senator lamented.
The head of Rosalkogolregulirovanie Igor Alyoshin clearly explained what the problem is: in both cases, methyl alcohol was added to the vodka, to which smugglers switched after ordering things in the production and sale of food and medical ethanol. Methanol can be freely and relatively cheaply bought through advertising on the Internet (the price is about 20 rubles per liter), discharged by rail or synthesized separately. There are now no large or even medium-sized companies in the substitute alcohol market. Production moved closer to the consumer – to industrial zones or garages, and the supply of dealers through closed telegram channels was ensured. “This new and very dangerous system of production and distribution has been created all over the country,” said Igor Kosarev, president of the Association of Alcohol Producers.
A Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed that illegal alcohol poisoning produced with the addition of methanol was common. Only incidents where less than 5 people have died are not reported and do not become the property of the general public. “At best he was blind, at worst he died. We can travel endlessly to the villages and gather our citizens, “he commented. According to Rospotrebnadzor, 874 cases of methanol poisoning were recorded in the first 9 months of 2021. 774 – mortal. “The lethal dose of this poison is very small – only 30 mg,” – said the representative of the department Andrei Guskov.
The participants of the meeting very quickly decided what exactly needs to be done to influence the situation. First, to ensure state control over methanol turnover. Second, denature (that is, make it unfit to drink) the alcohol itself and mark the tanks that transport it. One option is to add a special bitter substance that causes a gag reflex, or specific dyes. Third, to tighten the penalties for manufacturers and sellers, to consider the death of people from a sold substitute as a deliberate murder. Fourthly, to introduce the regulation of home brewing, where methanol is also widely used. “Everything was forbidden in the USSR, now everything is allowed. Only here can you sell moonlight to minors at the kiosk, “Kosarev complained.
However, during the discussion, it became clear that putting these initiatives into practice would be very difficult. For example, it took 5 years (!) And heavy artillery to transfer the production of medical alcohol under state control: the head of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko convinced Veronika Skvorcova personally, and after a change in leadership of the Ministry of Health it took another year before their agreements were finally implemented. As for the denaturation of methanol, the Ministry of Industry and Trade objects: as the representative of this ministry said at the meeting, the industry needs pure alcohol, without impurities and additives that change GOST. (To make methanol bitter, you need thousands of substances that do not affect the basic properties of the product. In the same countries, this method is used to prevent children from inadvertently being poisoned by various household fluids). “You can't denature, but what about that?” People are dying! – The senators were confused, but no answer. It turned out that neither Rosalkogolregulirovanie, nor the Ministry of Finance, nor any other departments could decide on their own on the control of turnover and the labeling of methanol. “We have to write a letter to Mishustin,” the meeting decided, reaffirming the well-known truth that not a single cart will move in Russia without manual control. Even if it's people's lives.