Preventing alcohol poisoning at the end of the year

The end of the year is a time for people to gather, organize parties, festivals and eat and drink with family, friends and colleagues. However, besides that happy atmosphere, there is a hidden danger that few people pay attention to: alcohol poisoning.

The end of the year is a time for people to gather, organize parties, festivals and eat and drink with family, friends and colleagues. However, besides that happy atmosphere, there is a hidden danger that few people pay attention to: alcohol poisoning.

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Potential danger

Symptoms of alcohol poisoning may appear immediately after drinking or some time later, depending on the level of poisoning. Common symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, the poisoned person may fall into a coma and lose consciousness.

Alcohol poisoning can come from many different causes.

Firstly, drinking too much alcohol in a short period of time is the main cause of acute alcohol poisoning. Consuming a large amount of alcohol makes the body unable to eliminate and process all the alcohol, leading to drunkenness, loss of control and dangerous symptoms such as difficulty breathing and impaired consciousness.

Second, counterfeit or poor quality alcohol is also a cause that cannot be ignored. These types of alcohol often contain methanol (industrial alcohol) or other toxic substances, which can cause severe poisoning, seriously affecting the liver, kidneys and central nervous system.

Alcohol abuse or drinking alcohol containing methanol can have very serious consequences, even death.

A typical example is the incident that occurred during the Lunar New Year 2023 in some provinces in the Southwest, where more than 20 people were poisoned by methanol after drinking alcohol of unknown origin. As a result, many people had to be hospitalized in a state of deep coma, kidney failure and liver failure.

Additionally, choosing the wrong foods when drinking alcohol can also increase the risk of poisoning. Some processed foods or unsafe foods can react badly with alcohol, leading to stomach and digestive problems, and even food poisoning.

Recently, at noon on December 19, 2024, in Long Bien district (Hanoi), a serious food poisoning incident occurred, causing two deaths and many others to be hospitalized. Of the 20 hospitalized patients, 14 patients suffered from septic shock syndrome, toxicosis - increased lactate metabolic acidosis. Authorities have determined the cause to be poisoning by the chemical acetonitrile in the white wine that the partygoers drank.

Next, on December 22, 2024, Vung Tau Hospital admitted 4 patients with suspected methanol poisoning. One of these patients was in a coma. This is a typical example of the harmful effects of using alcohol of unknown origin, often containing methanol - an extremely dangerous substance.

Alcohol poisoning, especially alcohol of unknown origin or homemade alcohol, is also a serious problem at the end of the year. Authorities have warned of the increased risk of alcohol poisoning during the holidays, when many people abuse alcohol.

“Wine of unknown origin, especially craft wine, is often mixed with industrial alcohol methanol to increase alcohol concentration and reduce production costs. Methanol, when entering the body, will be converted into formic acid and formaldehyde, causing serious damage to the liver, kidneys and nervous system, which can lead to blindness and death,” said Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center (Bach Mai Hospital).

How to prevent?

To minimize the risk of alcohol poisoning, especially during the holidays, everyone needs to pay attention to some basic principles. According to recommendations, people need to drink alcohol in a controlled manner and not exceed the allowed level to reduce the risk of alcohol poisoning. One of the important principles is not to drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Drinking without eating will cause the body to absorb alcohol quickly, increasing the risk of poisoning. In addition, when feeling drunk or having symptoms of dizziness or nausea, you should immediately stop drinking alcohol and switch to drinking water or non-alcoholic beverages to help the body recover.

When choosing wine, make sure to only buy wine from reputable stores and establishments with clear origins. Avoid buying wines of unknown origin, especially fake or poor quality wines, as they may contain toxic substances such as methanol. Make sure to check the label and expiry date of the wine to avoid using expired products.

In addition, it is very important not to combine alcohol with other harmful substances. Alcohol can interact with some drugs, making the body susceptible to dangerous reactions, affecting the liver, kidneys and digestive system. In particular, avoid combining alcohol with unsafe foods, such as raw seafood or undercooked meat, as this can make the body susceptible to bacterial infections or food poisoning.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, at the end of the year, people need to drink alcohol at the lowest risk level in one drink, drink slowly, combine with food, and alternate with filtered water.

In particular, relatives need to pay attention to monitor the drunk person. If the drunk person is still aware, they should eat and drink foods containing sugar and starch such as rice, corn, potatoes, cassava, milk, sweetened fruit juice, soup, thin porridge... to have energy, otherwise it is easy to get hypoglycemia. At the same time, the family needs to pay attention to observe serious signs in relatives to take them to the emergency room promptly.

For example, if methanol is consumed, the patient will have a headache, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, loss of vision, and coma. These symptoms usually do not occur immediately during the drinking session, but most patients fall into critical condition after 1 day. If not hospitalized and treated promptly, the risk of death is very high.

There are severe cases, even if they are saved, treatment is very difficult. In addition to mechanical ventilation, patients must undergo continuous blood filtration with solutions to filter out toxins, with treatment costs that can cost hundreds of millions of dong.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/phong-ngua-ngo-doc-ruou-cuoi-nam-d239509.html