Counterfeit Alcohol Causes Mass Poisoning in Northern Iran

Counterfeit alcohol has poisoned dozens of people in northern Iran, according to local officials. It has ravaged the cities of Chalous, Amol, Qaemshahr, and Nowshahr.

Rasoul Zafarmand, the Director of Medical Treatment at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, said that 160 people have been admitted to medical centers in Mazandaran province due to poisoning from counterfeit alcohol.

In Chalous alone, 91 people sought medical attention, while Qaemshahr and Nowshahr have recorded six and 15 cases, respectively.

Counterfeit alcohol has proven fatal in several instances. Zafarmand reported that in Chalous, five people have lost their lives, including four women.

Amol reported 47 cases, with four deaths and 24 discharges. He further stated that while 14 people in Chalous have been discharged after receiving treatment, 19 remain hospitalized in Amol.

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, the production, distribution, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Iran have been “illegal” and punishable by various penalties, including death.

The prohibition has led to the unsupervised production and distribution of counterfeit alcohol, often using industrial chemicals, which has repeatedly resulted in fatalities and irreversible physical harm to citizens.

In April, 29 doctors at a party near Shiraz were poisoned after consuming homemade alcohol, resulting in one death and several others being admitted to intensive care.