The New York Times announced that due to recent deaths from methanol-contaminated alcohol, the Czech Republic has begun a prohibition. All alcohol that is 20% or
higher in alcohol content is banned from being sold for the time being. 20
deaths have resulted from this contamination in the last two, which has shocked
and frightened the country. All of the alcohol that was contaminated came from the
black market. The un-approved alcohol had been marked down to a special price
and had fake labels on the bottles. The methanol laced liquor was being sold at
kiosks and other lower income bars and establishments. Czech’s government had always
turned a blind eye to the alcohol’s black market, that is until now. The
people who are not apart of the 20 who have died thus far have suffered from
nausea, blurred vision resulting in blindness, and brain damage. Currently a Norwegian
drug is being used on the ill victims to rid their bodies of methanol. It has
yet to be officially determined when this prohibition will let up. Until then, however,
The Czech Republic will be suffering from great financial loss, and a reevaluation
of the government control of alcohol.
The Czech Republic is the second ranked country on the list
of most hard alcohol consumed worldwide. It would seem that they would have a
rather efficient system of controlling and supervising the alcohol market, but the do not. The country
did have four decades of communist rule which would set up some rocky beginning
with the new found freedom. However the government knew full and well of the alcohol
black market and only cared about it until these recent deaths. Alcohol is
something that has been around and enjoyed nearly forever. It is not something
that can just be taken away or limited too much. According to the Huffington
Post, alcohol kills more people then AIDS, tuberculosis and violence. 4% of death
worldwide is caused from alcohol. This seems to be something that no one can
afford to ignore. This devastating incident will hopefully stand for a wake up call to the Czech government to monitor this dangerous but ever loved substance more closely.
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