The Number of Deaths from Alcohol Poisoning in Iran Reaches 31

The number of deaths due to alcohol poisoning across Iran has reached 31. So far, 371 people have sought medical attention in various cities due to alcohol-related poisoning. According to the spokesperson for Iran's Emergency Organization, of these 31 individuals, 17 died in Hormozgan province, six in North Khorasan, five in Alborz, two in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and two in Fars province. As reported by Mojtaba Khaledi, 167 of the poisoned individuals have been discharged from hospitals, while 173 remain hospitalized. Reports on this issue began on Thursday, October 5, with the announcement of six deaths and around 30 poisonings in Bandar Abbas and Karaj due to the consumption of homemade alcoholic beverages, with the number of victims and affected individuals increasing in the following days. An official from Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences also reported an increase in the number of alcohol poisoning victims in this province to 17, with the condition of 10 others being critical. Fatemeh Noorouziyan, the director of public relations and international affairs at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, also stated that the number of people seeking treatment in this province due to poisoning from alcoholic beverages was 225. Ms. Noorouzi reported the deaths of 17 individuals among those who sought treatment and the critical condition of 10 others, adding that of the 225 alcohol consumers in this province, 125 underwent dialysis and 131 were discharged. She noted that nine of the poisoned individuals are women and indicated that the age range of consumers is between 17 and 50 years. Due to the prohibition of alcohol sales and consumption in Iran, consumers have resorted to illegal means or the consumption of homemade alcoholic beverages, and even medical alcohol, for which there is no assurance of safety. Last Friday, the IRNA news agency reported the arrest of 'a couple' on charges of producing homemade alcohol in connection with this case. According to IRNA's report, citing the social deputy of the Hormozgan police command, 'this couple used additives and other materials in the production of homemade alcohol.' This is not the first time that the consumption of non-standard or counterfeit alcohol has led to the deaths and poisoning of citizens in Iran. Last year, an official from Iran's forensic organization reported the deaths of 153 people in the year ending in 1396 due to drinking counterfeit alcoholic beverages and stated that the age of alcohol consumption in Iran has reached 18 years. A few months ago, Mohammad Reza Qadirzadeh, an official from Iran's forensic organization, announced that 153 people died in 1395 due to drinking counterfeit alcoholic beverages in the country. According to Mr. Qadirzadeh, 'the production of these illegal beverages is done underground in the country.' This forensic official also mentioned the number of deaths caused by alcohol consumption in the years 1389 to 1393 as 145, 93, 136, 135, and 81 respectively. The purchase, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages are considered a 'crime' under the laws of the Islamic Republic, with a punishment of 80 lashes for consumption, which can lead to execution upon repeat offenses. Therefore, there is no accurate data on the exact amount of consumption of these beverages, a significant portion of which is smuggled into Iran without any oversight or quality control, and various officials have provided conflicting statistics on this matter.