Thirteen people have died from methanol poisoning in Kuwait after drinking alcoholic beverages. A further 63 were hospitalized, 31 of them requiring breathing support, and 21 were permanently or partially blinded. The series of deaths and hospitalizations began on August 9, and investigations are still ongoing.
The drinks containing methanol, an industrial alcohol not intended for human consumption, were most likely homemade and sold illegally. Alcohol consumption has been criminalized in Kuwait since 1980, but it is still sold on the black market.
The people affected were migrant workers from Asia, who make up the majority of Kuwait’s population. Due to their social vulnerability, these workers are often the recipients of low-quality products with questionable origins.
Methanol is a liquid used to produce items such as fuel, plastics, and solvents. It is indistinguishable in taste from ethanol, the compound otherwise known as alcohol. Methanol is sometimes laced into alcoholic drinks as an inexpensive substitute for ethanol. Methanol poisoning is extremely destructive to the human body and can cause permanent loss of vision or even death.