2016 Irkutsk mass methanol poisoning

2016 Irkutsk mass methanol poisoning

Irkutsk, the location of the poisonings, overlaid on a map of Siberia and nearby countries
Date	December 2016
Location	Irkutsk, Russia
Cause	Consumption of fraudulent surrogate alcohol
Deaths	74

External image
An example of hawthorn-scented bath oil

In December 2016, over 70 people died^[A] and another 49 were hospitalized in a mass methanol poisoning in the Russian city of Irkutsk. Precipitated by the consumption of fraudulent surrogate alcohol, the incident was the deadliest methanol poisoning in Russia's post-Soviet history.

Russian consumption of surrogate alcohol rose rapidly in the early 2010s amid worsening economic conditions. Surrogates cost less than government-regulated vodka, and they were commonly available from supermarkets, strategically placed vending machines, and other shops.

In the Irkutsk incident, the victims drank hawthorn-scented bath oil. While the product was typically made with and labeled as containing drinkable ethanol, at least one batch was made instead with methanol. When even a small amount is ingested by humans, methanol acts as a nerve toxin. If untreated, it severely damages the optic nerve, causes paralysis, and eventually leads to unconsciousness.

A government investigation found that the methanol was sourced from an employee of a local windshield washer fluid production facility. In response to the poisoning, in mid-2017 the Russian government increased the legal punishments for illegally producing and selling alcohol and made it more difficult to acquire surrogate alcohols by banning the surrogate-containing vending machines.

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