surrogate alcohol
{{Short description|Alcohol not meant for human consumption}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2009}}
Surrogate alcohol is a term for any substance containing ethanol, or other alcohols, 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.{{cite journal|last1=Lachenmeier|first1=Dirk W.|last2=Rehm|first2=Jürgen|last3=Gmel|first3=Gerhard|title=Surrogate Alcohol: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?|journal=Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research|date=October 2007|volume=31|issue=10|pages=1613–1624|doi=10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00474.x|doi-access=free|pmid=17681034 }}
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
File:Troynoy Odekolon.jpg "Тройной" (Troynoy; Triple)]]
Many alcoholic liquids contain alcohol but are not meant to be ingested in the same way as alcoholic beverages. Typical surrogate alcohols include:
- Aftershave, perfume or cologne
- Antifreeze
- Charcoal lighter fluid
- Cleaning fluids such as Windex
- Denatured alcohol – ethanol rendered unfit to drink by mixing with methanol or bittering agents
- Disinfectants
- Ethanol fuel
- Extracts
- Hand sanitizer
- Liquid soap
- Moonshine and other homemade alcohols, including two or more of the above mixed together
- Mouthwash
- Paint
- Rubbing alcohol
- Sterno
- Windshield washer fluid
Dangers to health
Most surrogate alcohols have very high alcoholic levels, some as high as 95%, and thus can lead to alcohol poisoning, along with other symptoms of alcohol intoxication such as vertigo, impaired coordination, balance and judgment, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and even long-term effects, such as heart failure, stroke, and death.
Besides alcohol, there are many other toxic substances in surrogate alcohol such as hydrogen peroxide, antiseptics, ketones, as well as alcohols other than ethanol (drinking alcohol), such as isopropanol and methanol. Methanol, and to a far lesser extent isopropanol, is poisonous. The effect of other chemicals on health has not been adequately studied, and so the health risks are unclear. However, observations in countries with high consumption of surrogate alcohols, such as Russia, indicate that the impurities in the consumed drink lead to high mortality rates."Russian 'Surrogate' Alcohols Are A Killer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 October 2005. [https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051014073614.htm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160905051051/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051014073614.htm |date=2016-09-05 }} Rubbing alcohol can also cause blindness, and coma.{{Cite web|url=https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2|title=
Acute Poisoning from use of Isopropyl Alcohol in tepid sponging|author=Roy F. Garrison}}
In December 2016, 78 people died from drinking surrogate alcohol, poisoned with methanol, in the Russian city of Irkutsk.{{cite web |title=Vladimir Putin orders clampdown on 'surrogate' alcohol as deaths rise |date=2016-12-21 |website=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010125441/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/21/vladimir-putin-clampdown-surrogate-alcohol-deaths-fake-bath-tincture-irkutsk |archive-date=2022-10-10 |url-status=live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/21/vladimir-putin-clampdown-surrogate-alcohol-deaths-fake-bath-tincture-irkutsk}}
Serious harm and even death can quickly result from ingestion due to the high alcohol content and other substances harmful to ingestion present in some brands of mouthwash.{{Cite web |title=What Are the Dangers of Drinking Mouthwash? {{!}} Laguna Hospital |url=https://lagunatreatment.com/alcohol-abuse/drinking-mouthwash/ |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=Laguna Treatment Hospital |language=en}} It is a common cause of death among homeless people during winter months, because a person can feel warmer after drinking it.{{Cite web |title=The People Giving Alcoholics Beer to Get Them to Stop Drinking Mouthwash |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/people-are-getting-wasted-off-mouthwash-and-rubbing-alcohol-and-its-killing-them/ |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=vice.com |date=16 March 2016 |language=en |archive-date=2023-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122210237/https://www.vice.com/en/article/5gj7nd/people-are-getting-wasted-off-mouthwash-and-rubbing-alcohol-and-its-killing-them |url-status=live }}
See also
- Harm reduction#Alcohol
- Inhalant (individuals may also inhale gasoline or glue fumes)
- List of methanol poisoning incidents
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-news/Russian-surrogate-alcohols-are-a-killer-1846-1/ Bio-medicine.org]
- [http://www.boozenews.ca/index.php?itemid=133 Boozenews.ca]
{{Alcohol and health}}