2016 Irkutsk Mass Methanol Poisoning
   HOME
*





2016 Irkutsk Mass Methanol Poisoning
In December 2016, 78 people died in a mass methanol poisoning in the Russian city of Irkutsk. Precipitated by drinking counterfeit surrogate alcohol, the Associated Press news agency called its high death toll "unprecedented in its scale". Russian use of non-traditional surrogate alcohols rose rapidly in the early 2010s due to ongoing economic difficulties. Costing less than government-regulated vodka, surrogates reached an estimated height of twenty percent of the country's alcohol consumption by 2016. These products were often nearly pure alcohol that could be diluted to a rough approximation of vodka, and were commonly available from supermarkets, strategically placed vending machines, and other shops. In the Irkutsk incident, the victims drank scented bath lotion that was mislabeled as containing drinkable ethanol. In the aftermath of the poisoning, regulations on surrogate alcohols were tightened around the country. Politicians announced a temporary ban on non-food items wi ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Surrogate Alcohol
Surrogate alcohol is a term for any substance containing ethanol that is intentionally consumed by humans but is not meant for human consumption. Some definitions of the term also extend to illegally produced alcoholic beverages. Consumption of such substances carries extreme health risks, both from the ethanol content and other more toxic substances that may be present. Users risk both acute poisoning from substances such as methanol, and chronic poisoning from substances such as lead. Most people turn to these as a last resort either out of desperation, being underaged or being unable to afford consumable alcoholic beverages (with homeless alcoholics) or due to lack of access to drinking ethanol (for example with prison inmates and individuals in psychiatric wards). Common surrogate alcohols Many alcoholic liquids contain alcohol but are not meant to be ingested in the same way as alcoholic beverages. Typical surrogate alcohols include: * Hand sanitizer *Mouthwash * Aftersh ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Crataegus Monogyna
''Crataegus monogyna'', known as common hawthorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It is native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and West Asia, but has been introduced in many other parts of the world. Names This species is one of several that have been referred to as ''Crataegus oxyacantha'', a name that has been rejected by the botanical community as too ambiguous. In 1793, Medikus published the name ''C. apiifolia'' for a European hawthorn now included in ''C. monogyna,'' but that name is illegitimate under the rules of botanical nomenclature. Other common names include may, mayblossom, maythorn, (as the plant generally flowers in May in the English-speaking parts of Europe) quickthorn, whitethorn, motherdie, and haw. Description The common hawthorn is a shrub or small tree up to about tall, with a dense crown. The bark is dull brown with vertical orange cracks. The younger stems bear shar ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


State Of Emergency In Russia
State of emergency in Russia (russian: чрезвычайное положение в Российской Федерации) is a special legal regime that is introduced in the country or its individual regions to protect against an internal threat. The state of emergency involves restricting the rights and freedoms of citizens and legal entities, as well as imposing additional duties on them. In this case, the state of emergency, which is introduced in the case of violent unrest or clash, coup attempt, natural disaster or man-made disaster, should be distinguished from the martial law regime that is introduced in the event of external aggression. The procedure for introducing and lifting a state of emergency in Russia is regulated by the federal constitutional law "On the State of Emergency" (2001), which replaced the 1991 law of the same name. Earlier, the State Duma made several attempts to prepare and adopt a law, especially during the state of emergency on parts of the terr ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Antidote
An antidote is a substance that can counteract a form of poisoning. The term ultimately derives from the Greek term φάρμακον ἀντίδοτον ''(pharmakon) antidoton'', "(medicine) given as a remedy". Antidotes for anticoagulants are sometimes referred to as reversal agents. The antidotes for some particular toxins are manufactured by injecting the toxin into an animal in small doses and extracting the resulting antibodies from the host animals' blood. This results in an antivenom that can be used to counteract venom produced by certain species of snakes, spiders, and other venomous animals. Some animal venoms, especially those produced by arthropods (such as certain spiders, scorpions, and bees) are only potentially lethal when they provoke allergic reactions and induce anaphylactic shock; as such, there is no "antidote" for these venoms; however anaphylactic shock can be treated (e.g. with epinephrine). Some other toxins have no known antidote. For example, the pois ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Fomepizole
Fomepizole, also known as 4-methylpyrazole, is a medication used to treat methanol poisoning, methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning. It may be used alone or together with hemodialysis. It is given by intravenous, injection into a vein. Common side effects include headache, nausea, sleepiness, and unsteadiness. It is unclear if use during pregnancy is safe for the baby. Fomepizole works by blocking the enzyme that converts methanol and ethylene glycol to their toxic breakdown products. Fomepizole was approved for medical use in the United States in 1997. It is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Medical use Fomepizole is used to treat ethylene glycol and methanol poisoning. It acts to inhibit the breakdown of these toxins into their active toxic metabolites. Fomepizole is a competitive inhibition, competitive inhibitor of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, found in the liver. This enzyme plays a key role in the ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


The Siberian Times
''The Siberian Times'' is an English-language news website that was originally launched in Novosibirsk, Russia in 2012. According to the editor of the website, Svetlana Skarbo, their aim is to challenge stereotypes about the region which have been described as "negative and out of date". Former employees at East2West Limited have made accounts saying the idea for the site was formulated by Will Stewart, a British journalist who often cites it as a source in his articles. Stories from the news site are increasingly garnering the attention of the Western media. One such is an article about frozen Siberian worms becoming reanimated after thawing out of the permafrost. The story was also reported by the '' Smithsonian'' website, although a separate claim was made by the academic journal ''Doklady Biological Sciences''. Its literary style as a news source is still unknown. According to Mashable, its stories are "allegedly real with a bit of hyperbole/Siberian fan fiction thrown in". ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was established in London in 1851 by the German-born Paul Reuter. It was acquired by the Thomson Corporation of Canada in 2008 and now makes up the media division of Thomson Reuters. History 19th century Paul Reuter worked at a book-publishing firm in Berlin and was involved in distributing radical pamphlets at the beginning of the Revolutions in 1848. These publications brought much attention to Reuter, who in 1850 developed a prototype news service in Aachen using homing pigeons and electric telegraphy from 1851 on, in order to transmit messages between Brussels and Aachen, in what today is Aachen's Reuters House. Reuter moved to London in 1851 and established a news wire agency at the London Royal Exchange. Headquartered in London, Reuter' ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Guardian Media Group, owned by the Scott Trust. The trust was created in 1936 to "secure the financial and editorial independence of ''The Guardian'' in perpetuity and to safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values of ''The Guardian'' free from commercial or political interference". The trust was converted into a limited company in 2008, with a constitution written so as to maintain for ''The Guardian'' the same protections as were built into the structure of the Scott Trust by its creators. Profits are reinvested in journalism rather than distributed to owners or shareholders. It is considered a newspaper of record in the UK. The editor-in-chief Katharine Viner succeeded Alan Rusbridger in 2015. Since 2018, the paper's main news ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Windshield Washer Fluid
Windshield washer fluid (also called windshield wiper fluid, wiper fluid, screen wash (in the UK), or washer fluid) is a fluid for motor vehicles that is used in cleaning the windshield with the windshield wiper while the vehicle is being driven. Delivery system A control within the car can be operated to spray washer fluid onto the windshield, typically using an electrical pump via jets mounted either beneath the windshield or beneath the wiper blade(s). The windshield wipers are automatically turned on, cleaning dirt and debris off the windshield. Some vehicles use the same method to clean the rear window or the headlights. The first windshield cleaner unit offered for automobiles was in 1936, as an Aftermarket (automotive), aftermarket option to be installed on cars after they were bought. In 1946 General Motors installed windshield washers on all their vehicles as an extra cost option, while Chrysler offered the feature optionally in 1950 and Ford offered them for 1952. Wash ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

CBS News
CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 Hours'', and Sunday morning political affairs program ''Face the Nation''. CBS News Radio produces hourly newscasts for hundreds of radio stations, and also oversees CBS News podcasts like '' The Takeout Podcast''. CBS News also operates a 24-hour digital news network. Up until April 2021, the president and senior executive producer of CBS News was Susan Zirinsky, who assumed the role on March 1, 2019. Zirinsky, the first female president of the network's news division, was announced as the choice to replace David Rhodes on January 6, 2019. The announcement came amid news that Rhodes would step down as president of CBS News "amid falling ratings and the fallout from revelations from an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations" ag ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Methanol Toxicity
Methanol toxicity (also ''methanol poisoning'') is poisoning from methanol, characteristically via ingestion. Symptoms may include a decreased level of consciousness, poor or no coordination, hypothermia, vomiting, abdominal pain, and a specific smell on the breath. Decreased vision may start as early as twelve hours after exposure. Long-term outcomes may include blindness and kidney failure. Blindness may occur after drinking as little as 10mL; death may occur after drinking quantities over 15 mL (median 100mL, varies depending on body weight). Methanol poisoning most commonly occurs following the drinking of windshield washer fluid. This may be accidental or as part of an attempted suicide. Toxicity may also rarely occur through extensive skin exposure or breathing in fumes. When methanol is broken down by the body it results in formaldehyde, formic acid, and formate which cause much of the toxicity. The diagnosis may be suspected when there is acidosis or an increased osmol g ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Methanol
Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a light, volatile, colourless, flammable liquid with a distinctive alcoholic odour similar to that of ethanol (potable alcohol). A polar solvent, methanol acquired the name wood alcohol because it was once produced chiefly by the destructive distillation of wood. Today, methanol is mainly produced industrially by hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. Methanol consists of a methyl group linked to a polar hydroxyl group. With more than 20 million tons produced annually, it is used as a precursor to other commodity chemicals, including formaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl tert-butyl ether, methyl benzoate, anisole, peroxyacids, as well as a host of more specialised chemicals. Occurrence Small amounts of methanol are present in normal, healthy hu ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]