Bootlegged Booze: Facts you need to know
We all like a drink or two but with the rise in counterfeit booze it's important to know what kind of alcohol is in your glass on a night out to make sure you stay safe and remember the good times.
To help you spot and sniff out the bad booze here are some facts and figures about bootlegged alcohol.
Good and bad booze
Good legitimate alcohol is produced in an organic agricultural process where distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits produces the spirit.
Bootlegged alcohol on the other hand, is typically made using strong industrial alcohol which is watered down so you are able to drink it. This type of booze often has has methanol or isopropyl in it - methanol is usually found in antifreeze and is also used as a solvent, isopropyl is found in cleaning fluids. This means that this type of alcohol is highly unsuitable for consumption, it could make you really sick.
What are the symptoms?
Methanol poisoning: Nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness and dizziness, blurred vision leading to blindness, and breathing difficulties.
Isopropyl poisoning: Symptoms of isopropyl alcohol poisoning include flushing, headache, dizziness, depression, nausea, vomiting, anesthesia, and coma.
How common is bootlegged booze?
The BBC reported that up to a quarter of licensed premises in some parts of the UK are involved in the sale and distribution of counterfeit alcohol.
Bootlegged booze can be found all over the UK and it's big business. Trading Standards estimates that counterfeit alcohol costs the UK around £1bn a year in lost revenue.
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- groups:
- Party Now Pay Later, Bootlegged Booze
