Stories are told of imbibers who suffer abnormal hangovers after a night out with friends, or others who confess to an unusual level of intoxication, even after consuming their favourite brands of alcohol. Most times, the episodes are swiftly dismissed as unique after-effects whose cause in the real sense the merrymakers never bother to ascertain.
From the onset, however, it is important to set the record straight: no amount or type of alcohol is safe or recommended for consumption at any point. The issues thus being canvassed here revolve around the consumption of alcohol produced in questionable locations and through suspicious means without any regard to its harm to human health. It is not in any way an affirmation that using alcohol, whether safe or not, is okay.
Fake or illegally produced alcohol is alcohol that is produced in unlicensed distilleries or people's homes and intended for sale. Properly produced and certified alcoholic drinks will be made using ethanol, whereas production of fake alcohol is more likely to use cheaper versions of alcohol, and contain potentially even more dangerous chemicals.
Don’t get me wrong; this type of alcohol is manufactured to imitate existing and known brands and is also sometimes distributed through the usual networks used for standard alcohol.
In Kenya currently, the age of initiation to alcohol use is seven years and over 3 million people are currently using the substance. This is according to a report from the national survey on the status of drugs and substance use in Kenya that was released in May this year by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse. The study further revealed that one in every 20 women in the country was using alcohol.
Tragedy, however, lies in the fact that most of those partaking in alcohol may not be aware that along the way they may have consumed counterfeited drinks. Ordinarily, after a few drinks they may not tell the difference, in taste, of the substances freely flowing into their bodies.
This means that even when served with plain water disguised as their favourite drinks, the tipplers may just convince themselves that the drink is either becoming tastier or manufacturers have introduced toned-down versions to enable them to guzzle more. And of course that ends there without further scrutiny.
The country has on numerous occasions witnessed reports of deaths stemming from consumption of substances suspected to be laced with methanol. Quite often, before death occurs the victims are heard complaining of either poor or total loss of sight among, other symptoms.
Clearly, the victims must have imbibed a substance that was either not properly manufactured or that was laced with substances that reacted negatively to their bodies. The bottom line is, whatever they consumed was not healthy.
When Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua talks about some deceitful business people in the alcohol manufacturing business selling poison to people, he knows too well the consequences of such actions.
Commonly used substitutes for ethanol include chemicals used in cleaning fluids, nail polish remover and automobile screen wash, as well as methanol and isopropanol which are used in antifreeze and some fuels. These other types of alcohol can produce similar effects to ethanol in terms of making one feel tipsy. But they are also potentially very dangerous.
Once again, over time excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and digestive problems, and cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, oesophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum.
The hard truth is there is no amount of alcohol that is safe to drink. Even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of cancer and other health conditions. The best choice you can make for your health is to not drink at all.
Manager Corporate Communications, Nacada
