Czech Republic sees first methanol-related death in 2013

Poisoned alcohol has claimed the life of a Czech in the region of Olomouc – the first methanol-related death in the Czech Republic in 2013. The news was revealed by the country’s chief hygiene officer Vladimír Valenta. The man was found dead in his home on 9 January – the 39th fatality related to poisoned alcohol since an initial outbreak of poisoning that began in September of last year after thousands of litres of tainted liquor were smuggled onto the market. The police estimated that roughly 5,000 litres of methanol-spiked alcohol remain in private homes. The country’s health minister has repeatedly warned members of the public not to consume spirits of unknown origin.