Unstandardized Alcohol Consumption in Mazandaran Province Claims 21 Lives in 9 Days

The Director General of Forensic Medicine in Mazandaran reported that 21 people have died due to 'unstandardized alcohol consumption' in the past 9 days in the province. Ali Abbasi stated that 18 men and 3 women lost their lives from alcohol consumption, and their bodies have been referred to forensic medicine for examination. He added that there are no standard alcoholic beverages in Iran, and even 'sealed' alcoholic drinks are often produced and sealed in underground workshops. Rasul Zafarmand, the Director of Treatment at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, also mentioned that 284 people have sought medical treatment for alcohol poisoning, of which 201 have been discharged. Five days ago, the number of patients visiting medical centers due to alcohol poisoning in Mazandaran was 160. Additionally, Zafarmand noted that 4 individuals have gone blind due to eye damage, 81 of the poisoned individuals underwent dialysis, and 16 are under care in intensive care units. The attempt to impose the policies of the Islamic Republic on the personal lives of citizens, including the prohibition of alcoholic beverages, has repeatedly claimed victims in Iran. Following the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, the production, preparation, distribution, and consumption of alcoholic beverages became 'illegal,' with various punishments including execution. This policy, instead of stopping alcohol consumption, has led to the dangerous growth of the counterfeit alcohol market, where there is no control over their quality. According to reports from Iranian media and interviews with Iranians who consume, sell, or produce alcoholic beverages, the cause of injuries and deaths is the cheaper methanol that replaces ethanol found in homemade distilled alcoholic drinks and counterfeit bottles. In 2018, the World Health Organization announced that Iran ranked ninth in per capita alcohol consumption among 189 countries. At that time, government-affiliated media rejected the WHO report, claiming that 96% of individuals aged 15 and older in Iran had never consumed alcohol. The 'Open Data Iran' platform conducted a survey three years ago with over 2,000 participants, revealing that 47.7% of respondents reported 'regularly' consuming alcohol. The survey also asked about the methods of obtaining alcoholic beverages, with 1,031 respondents. About 51% chose 'I buy homemade,' and 28% selected 'I make it myself,' while the remaining 20% said they buy alcohol in cans or bottles. The death of 26 people due to unstandardized alcoholic beverages raises questions about 'governmental murder.' The death of a specialist doctor in Shiraz due to unstandardized alcohol continues to claim victims under the prohibition of 'alcoholic beverages' in Iran. The repeated story of counterfeit alcohol; the prosecutor of Makoo reported the death of 3 people and the hospitalization of 20 others. A lawyer for one of the defendants sentenced to death in the counterfeit alcohol case stated that the 'high-security' court was held without allowing a defense. Four defendants in the alcohol poisoning case in Alborz province have been sentenced to death. There are protests against the failure to identify the distributors of 'poisoned alcohol'; the prevalence of alcohol consumption in Iran is increasing. The continuation of alcohol poisonings in Iran; the commander of 'NAJA' stated: 'It is not a series.'