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Civilian Emergency Platform
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A person drank homemade liquor, adulterated alcohol, or methanol — may seem drunk at first but vision and breathing can fail.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — NOT EXPERT REVIEWED — NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Blurred vision, "looking through snow," eye pain.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Severe headache, vomiting, confusion, fast breathing.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Multiple people ill after same local alcohol source.
Scene hazards: Toxic substance still present, Vomiting and aspiration risk
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Call 112 and Poison Control. Say suspected methanol/toxic alcohol.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Save sample of liquor if safely available.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do not wait for vision symptoms — early hospital care improves survival.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Keep airway open. CPR if unresponsive.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Call 112. Say: "Suspected methanol/spurious liquor poisoning."
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Report number of affected people if outbreak.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Hospital antidote (fomepizole or ethanol under medical control) and dialysis may be lifesaving.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT treat with "hair of the dog" — more alcohol is dangerous unless hospital gives specific antidote under supervision.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed.
MYTH: DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If you can still walk and talk, spurious liquor did not harm you
REALITY: DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Methanol damage can appear hours later. Early treatment before symptoms prevents blindness and death.
DANGER: DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Delayed hospital care until irreversible eye or brain injury.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Methanol is converted to formaldehyde and formic acid in the body — damages eyes, brain, and organs. Symptoms may delay 12-24 hours.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Spurious liquor outbreaks often affect many people — alert others who drank from same source.