Estonia recalls mass methanol poisoning in Pärnu in 2001
In the Estonian city of Pärnu, people recalled the mass methanol poisoning of September 2001: 154 people were poisoned, 68 of whom died. Raido Paasma, the former head of the intensive care unit at Pärnu Hospital, a clinical toxicologist and anesthesiologist, described the course of the tragedy, ERR News reports.
Illegal alcohol
According to Paasma, at that time people in Estonia bought cheaper alcohol on the black market. Sellers of illegal liquor added cheap methanol to vodka to increase the volume of their product. The doctor believes that those who mixed the drink did not realize what harm they could cause.
Methanol does not cause the intoxication typical of ethanol and tastes different from regular vodka. Paasma recalled that some patients complained about the unusual taste of the drink and said they did not feel intoxicated after consuming it.
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Strain on the healthcare system
Pärnu Hospital did not have sufficient capacity to treat all patients, so some of them were transferred to other medical facilities. Paasma explained that ethanol is used as an antidote in cases of methanol poisoning. Its concentration in the blood must be maintained at a sufficient level; otherwise, the body begins breaking down methanol, producing toxic formic acid.
The most difficult period of the crisis, according to the doctor, lasted about a week and a half. Twenty-five patients died in the hospital, while another 43 people were found dead outside medical facilities. Paasma called the event a major test for Estonia's healthcare system and, in his view, the first experience of a joint response that preceded the COVID-19 pandemic.
Isolated cases today
According to the doctor, methanol poisonings still occur in Estonia, although rarely. He also noted that such cases are common in various countries around the world, including in Asia. Paasma named the desire to buy cheaper alcohol, limited availability of alcoholic beverages, and religious restrictions on their consumption among the reasons.
