RIGA - Two died and over 60 were hospitalized in Latvia last week after drinking toxic alcohol made from industrial chemicals, apparently part of the same batch that killed dozens and hospitalized over 1,000 in Russia during the month of October. Nearly all of Latvia's poisoning cases originated in Preili County, part of the eastern Latgale region, and affected members of society's lower stratum, who buy the green-tinted liquid since it is 50 percent less expensive than the cheapest brand-name vodka.
Doctors said all those affected were suffering from toxic hepatitis, or severe liver damage, which can take 3- 6 months to cure depending on each individual case. The disease is accompanied by jaundice, another serious liver condition, which gives patients a yellow hue to their skin.
State Police spokespeople said that preliminary lab tests indicate that the illegal alcohol 's called "krutka" among users 's is of the same origin as the toxic drink that has swept across Russia like an epidemic. In the Pskov Oblast, which neighbors Latvia, 17 people died and some 500 were hospitalized after ingesting the illegal beverage.
Speaking on LNT television, Arvids Marhels, acting head of the State Police, said that the toxins added to this recent batch included household cleaning agents, while other reports indicate ethylene glycol, or antifreeze. Krutka is often characterized by a greenish tint.
Daina Plicha, head doctor at the Preili hospital, said that 62 people had been registered with toxic hepatitis in the county as of Oct. 31, and that new cases were arriving on a daily basis. A majority of patients had to be flown to hospitals in Livani, Daugavpils and Riga given the lack of beds in the Preili hospital.
Local authorities even declared a state of emergency, saying they were unable to cope with the problem.
Several additional cases were reported in the northern part of Latvia, though local hospitals were able to deal with the numbers.
At the same time, five people found dead in their apartments in Preili county may also have drunk the poisonous krutka, as marks on their bodies suggested similar symptoms. Police officials stressed the exact cause of death could only be announced after an autopsy.
The news triggered alarm among government officials, and on Oct. 26 Parliament's emergency situations council met to discuss measures to combat the continued sale of the poisonous beverage. Marhels and other top officials asked for more rigorous penalties for the sale of illegal alcohol, while police swept down on so-called "tochki" 's or places where illegal alcohol can be purchased 's and had confiscated some 90 liters of krutka by the end of the week.
Still, many were unimpressed by the resolve. Andris Vaivods, chairman of the Preili county council, demonstratively went to the local market and bought a bottle of the illicit alcohol, a Preili council official told The Baltic Times. He promptly returned to his office and issued a statement criticizing police's lackluster efforts in shutting down the krutka trade. He said he was prepared to pay the fine for making the illegal purchase.
No arrests have been made in connection with the sale of illegal alcohol, according to Zane Maskalonoka, a State Police spokeswoman. She explained that Latvian law only provided for administrative responsibility 's or fines 's for such an offense.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to count its dead, and even President Vladimir Putin was forced to address the crsis. "The profusion of poor-quality and counterfeit products on our alcohol market is a huge problem. And even today we have examples of people being poisoned by poor-quality alcohol. Besides inflicting huge damages on people's health... it also has a very negative impact on the state of public finances."
Experts believe that the flood of toxic alcohol entered the market earlier this year after Russia introduced a new, stricter system of excise stamps on all alcoholic beverages. The campaign led to higher prices for spirits and beer across the board, forcing disadvantaged people to search for cheaper alternatives.
A Russian official said last week that some 40,000 people die yearly from alcohol-related poisonings, or approximately one person every five hours.
