FEATURE-Fake vodka kills, makes ill thousands of Russians
12 Nov 2006 13:23:48 GMT Source: Reuters
By Olesya Dmitracova PSKOV, Russia, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Alexander Gorshev, a 52-year-old grandfather of three and a keen climber in his youth, will likely have to stay on medication for the rest of his life: he is one of thousands of Russians poisoned by counterfeit alcohol in the past three months. Hundreds have already died and doctors forecast many others, diagnosed with toxic hepatitis after drinking cheap vodka made from household cleaning agents and unable to pay for treatment, are doomed. "This is no longer a question of health -- this is a matter of life and death," Gorshev said lying in a bed in a hospital corridor, a drip pinned to his arm. Since victims with yellow skin and eyes started arriving en masse in September, hospitals have run out of wards and have had to put many up in corridors. The virulent substance contained in the new tainted vodka destroys the liver for good, explained Sergei Nikiforov, chief epidemiologist of the Pskov region, about 700 km (450 miles) west of Moscow. "That leads either to chronic disability or death," he said. As most of the patients are either alcoholics or homeless and unlikely to buy medicines or look after themselves, many may well die within four to seven months, Nikiforov added. A 28-year-old patient in the Pskov city hospital, who did not wish to give his name, said: "I need several thousand (roubles) in order to stay here." DEADLY RUSSIAN Vodka has been Russia's favourite tipple for centuries. A shot of the fiery, colourless drink is used to celebrate, to steady nerves, to close business deals or to drown grief. "Samogon" or home-brewed vodka has been around for centuries too, bringing solace to the worker and despair to relatives. But the deadly cocktail claiming lives now is something different. Many commentators blame a new law introduced in July for the current wave of poisonings. The law is meant to protect consumers from illegal products by enforcing strict licensing and hygiene rules, but it has also pushed extra costs onto producers who pass them on to consumers. Almost a fifth of Russia's population lives below the poverty line earning considerably less than the national average of $400 a month. Legal -- and safe to drink -- vodka at a minimum of 70 roubles ($2.63) a bottle is a luxury many cannot afford. Instead they buy much cheaper illegal vodka, often laced with lighter fuel, aftershave or antiseptics. Some even buy such spirit-rich liquids and simply dilute them with water. "From July 1 they introduced licences for wholesale deliveries of liquids containing alcohol. In August poisoning from antiseptics began," Pavel Shapin, head of the National Alcohol Association, said. While legal vodka is made from grain or vegetable spirit, most of the spirit used in alcohol products not meant for drinking is made from non-food materials, such as gas or sawdust, expert Elena Petrova said. But no one can yet pinpoint the exact chemical substance, common to all tainted drink, that has ravaged so many livers. "There are no official data on the substance that is causing the poisonings," Petrova said. JAIL FOR COUNTERFEITERS The government has responded to the modern-day "plague", ordering a massive clampdown on illegal alcohol producers and traders. The Pskov region, which borders Estonia, Latvia and Belarus, declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25. Since then police have seized at least 15 tonnes of illegal alcohol, as well as stacks of fake labels and bottle caps. Those accused of procuring the dangerous booze face fines or imprisonment, which can go up to 10 years if proof is found that the produce has led to someone's death. "We are working to persuade the court to give these people real jail terms," regional police chief Sergei Matveev said. Despite the attention surrounding the latest outbreak, alcohol poisonings are common in Russia, with some 17,000 people killed by drinking sessions in the first nine months of this year -- around 4,000 less than during the same period in 2005. But what makes the toxic infection different from usual alcohol-related diseases is the speed with which it destroys the liver and the impossibility of complete recovery, said Tatiana Semenova, a chief doctor at the Pskov hospital. "Those who have been ill with toxic hepatitis will never be healthy again." (Additional reporting by James Kilner) ($1=26.61 Rouble)
