Is it true that the jug contains methanol, as they said in El Hormiguero?

Anthill back in the news. But not because of the discomfort of the women invited to the program, and not because of the dialectical victory of Sofia Vergara on behalf of all of them. This time the news reports a scientific explanation, which, as in other cases, was not entirely accurate. This time it wasn’t a motivational monologue. Pablo MotosBut Brown’s comment, who is responsible for managing the scientific department. In this case, when it comes to methanolreferred to the fact that it is alcohol that is added to bottle in places of leisure.

Many social media users were upset about the danger this comment might entail. Anthill. And it’s true that methanol has been mentioned in the jug more than once, but it’s not a substance that’s typically added to alcoholic drinks to make them cheaper. If this were the case, there would be many cases death and blindnesssince it is a highly toxic compound for humans.

Problem don’t point it out The thing is, maybe someone who hears this and has one of these stores might think that methanol is the most common way to make a pitcher. One would think that at best those affected would have a severe hangover, as is usually the case with a jug in nightclubs. However, the consequences of consuming methanol are much more alarming and need to be explained in detail.

What is methanol?

Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, is the simplest of alcohols. That is, this is a chain single carbon, in which there is an alcohol group formed by oxygen and hydrogen. Additionally, to complete the four bonds that can form on carbon (one is occupied by an OH), it has three more hydrogens.

It is very flammable, which is why it is also called burning alcohol due to its use in starting fires and as a fuel. Moreover, it is used as antifreeze and solvent in the chemical industry. It is very toxic, so its use as food is unthinkable.

Therefore, it is not the same alcohol found in distilled or fermented drinks. They contain alcohol. ethanol, which has two carbon atoms instead of one. This may seem like a minimal difference, but it is not. Although ethanol is also toxic, hence the effects of intoxication, it is much less dangerous than methanol. Our liver can metabolize it and our kidneys help remove it from the blood. Over time and without the need to consume large quantities of drinks, illnesses may occur due to its consumption, but this is not the case. direct poisoning.

What happens to the jug mentioned in Anthill?

It is usually called a jug. low quality alcohol mixture, in bottles of more expensive brands. This is usually done by mixing cheaper drinks with more expensive branded drinks. In other cases just water added, so what is being done is to reduce the amount of alcohol by selling it at the same price. In the first case, the hangover may be slightly worse than usual. On the other hand, with the second effect there will be less for obvious reasons. Both examples are scams, although not too dangerous.

Now, in some cases, you need to add small amount of methanol, much cheaper than ethanol. This can happen unknowingly, through improperly distilling liquor, or intentionally, through intentionally adding it to drinks. In both cases, a highly toxic substance is added to the drink, which cannot be consumed by humans even in small quantities.

A dose of just 20 to 150 milliliters of methanol can be lethal. Additionally, it can cause blindness even at lower doses by directing some of its toxicity to the optic nerve.

Real cases of methanol poisoning

The jug they talk about in Anthill it’s real. It is true that methanol has been and is being used to adulterate drinks. And indeed, there were quite a few deaths from this. However, today this is very unusual.

Although it is estimated that in the 1980s in Spain 30% of establishments used jugs of one type or another, currently this figure does not go beyond 1-2%.

However, the most notorious case in our country occurred much earlier, in 1963. Then 51 people died. in Aria, Lanzarote, due to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, coffee liqueur, rum and vinegar diluted with methanol in establishments in this city. In addition, there were 5 victims who survived but lost their sight.

In other countries it is still more common today. For example, in 2019, the case of a British girl who went blind while on holiday in Greecedrinking vodka diluted with methanol.

In short, yes, that jug Marron was talking about in Anthill It existed, exists and, unfortunately, will most likely continue to exist. But, fortunately, today it is not the most common. We often use the term “garrafon”. not clear refer to the fact that the drink made us feel sick, when perhaps they simply gave us the alcohol we ordered without mixing it with anything. Mixing ethanol with methanol is no longer accepted as it can be fatal. Therefore, it is important to clarify this. This is not about heavy drinking, but, in many cases, the difference between life and death.