The case of the herbal liquor booth has caused concern among many drinkers, because there were deaths from drinking herbal liquor – illegal liquor mixed with “methanol”, which is usually mixed with “ethanol”. Both methanol and ethanol are alcohol, but their properties and toxicity are different. The details are as follows:
1. Ethanol (Ethanol) or commonly known as “alcohol” is a chemical that has the properties of a colorless liquid with a distinctive smell. Ethanol is often used as an ingredient in alcoholic beverages, as a fuel, in the medical industry, and as a solvent in industries such as the production process of various drugs and chemicals.
2. Methanol (Methanol) is a type of alcohol. It is a colorless liquid with a smell similar to alcohol but is very toxic (higher than ethanol). It can cause severe poisoning and cannot be eaten.
Symptoms of the body when exposed to ethanol and methanol toxicity
1. Ethanol: Causes chronic alcoholism and liver disease (for those who drink alcohol for a long time)
2. Methanol: Symptoms of gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting, stomachache, dizziness, fatigue, blurred vision or loss of vision, and in the most severe cases, death. Patients will start to experience symptoms from 1 hour to 3 days after receiving methanol into the body.
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