The Number of Victims from 'Fake Alcohol' Rises to 16; Several Young Men and Women in Karaj Have Become 'Blind'

In the continuing wave of alcohol poisoning in Karaj, informed sources from Iran report that the number of poisoned individuals is 'much higher' than the announced figure, and several young people have become 'blind' due to consuming beverages made from industrial alcohol. Two days after reports of the distribution of poisoned alcoholic beverages in Karaj, reports indicate that the consumption of these unhealthy alcoholic drinks continues, leading to an increase in the number of poisoned individuals to 141, with two more fatalities, and several others losing their eyesight. The Tehran-based newspaper Etemad reported on Sunday, June 18, citing an informed source, that the poisoned individuals have been transferred to hospitals in the central province of Alborz 'for about five or six days' and that their number is 'greater than the announced statistics,' with 'three or four young men and women' having become 'blind' after drinking these alcoholic beverages. According to a report from the state news agency IRNA on Friday, the head of the judiciary in Alborz province confirmed the death of 14 individuals, and with the announcement of two more deaths, the total number of fatalities has reached 16. The poisoned individuals, aged 'between 16 and 50 years,' have been transferred to the 'Kowsar, Alborz, Rajai, and Kasra' hospitals in Karaj. According to Hossein Fazli Hekrandi, the head of the judiciary in Alborz province, the industrial alcohol used in these drinks was 'illegally sold outside the network by an individual who owns a hair spray factory in the Eshtehard industrial town,' which 'has an alcohol quota for producing cosmetic and hygiene products,' and 'is usually mixed with water and various essences that include methanol.' The production of non-standard beverages using industrial alcohol comes at a time when the sale of grape juice in fruit and vegetable markets has been banned. Reports indicate that the unregulated production and distribution of alcohol using industrial alcohol has repeatedly led to deaths and irreparable physical harm to citizens. Mohammad Kazem Attari, a physician residing in the U.S. capital, told the Persian section of Voice of America that due to the prohibition of alcoholic beverages in Iran, there are no post-production controls. The Islamic Republic has banned the consumption of alcoholic beverages in Iran, with judicial penalties for consumers including flogging and execution.