Health and public safety authorities in Brazil, especially in the states of São Paulo e Pernambucoare on maximum alert due to the Increased cases of methanol poisoning related to the consumption of adulterated alcohol.
In São Paulo, Governor Tarcísio de Freitas confirmed that the state accumulates 22 cases — seven confirmed and 15 in calculation. Among the 22 cases are five deaths linked to the alleged ingestion of the substancecom A confirmed death in the state capital and Four deaths still under investigation.
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Where and what is being tampered with
One of the banned establishments was the BAR MINISTRYin the noble region of the gardens. The owner of the site, Zé Rodrigues, was taken to the police station after the Sanitary Surveillance found that the bar acquired drinks from a “street salesman” No invoice.
Rodrigues confirmed that he had bought hot drinks – such as vodka that a victim allegedly consumed – of these informal distributors, although it denied that he sold fake products.
There is reports from several other establishments that would have sold adulterated drinks. However, The police are still investigating the cases, since the owners of establishments may have been victims Methanol beverages distributors, buying products without knowing the origin.
The distilled drinks, as gin, leader e whiskyare the products most affected by forgery. In one of the most notorious cases, a young man who consumed a Imported gin Adulterated with methanol in a cellar in the city Dutra, south of São Paulo, and had to be hospitalized.
He and three friends were hospitalized, and the bottles and glasses were seized, confirming the presence of the substance. A friend of the victim reported that the famous brand drink was sealed and had nothing visually abnormal.
Brands that are tampered with are also victims of the scheme as they suffer from piracy of their products.
Operations
Police operations resulted in significant seizures:
- More than 800 bottles Drinks without origin were seized in the state capital in two days.
- In the municipality of Americanaone operation dismantled a clandestine factory that produced 17,790 products (whiskey, gin and vodka) and arrested two people.
The problem of forgery is vast, points out a research from April 2025 Fhoresp, which indicates that, falsified or smuggled.
Methanol toxicity and treacherous symptoms
O Methanol It is a liquid, colorless and flammable substance used as solvent, fuel and in the manufacture of various chemicals. When consumed, it is highly toxic and can lead to death even in small doses.
According to toxicologist Alvaro Pulchinelli, it is impossible to identify methanol In adulterated drinks, as it has no unpleasant smell or taste, mixing easily. Confirmation is only possible through clinical analysis of the victim’s drink or exams.
The initial symptoms of methanol poisoning are treacherous, as they resemble those of a hangover or common alcohol poisoning (ethanol). They include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and mental confusion.
The young man in the city Dutra described :. He initially believed it was just an intense hangover, but found it intoxicated.
The real danger typically emerges between 6 and 24 hours after consumption, when symptoms get worse:
- Visual complications: Blurred vision, photophobia, and, in serious cases, blindness which can be irreversible. One of the victim’s friends in the state capital had temporary blindness.
- Other serious signs: Seizures, coma, severe metabolic acidosis, shock and renal failure.
Recommendations and the fight against forgery
Given the crisis, the MJSP (Ministry of Justice and Public Security) issued an urgent recommendation for all establishments such as bars, restaurants, hotels, markets, e-commerce. The Ministry guides:
- Attention to signs of fraud: Crooked seals, obvious printing errors and atypically low prices. Prices far below the market, especially new suppliers, are a great alert.
- Provenance: Buy only from reliable suppliers, require invoice, and distrust street distributors without tax regularization.
- Caution: The Union of Clubs of the State of São Paulo (Sindiclubes) guided its members to suspend the sale of distillates as a preventive measure.
- In case of suspicion: Interrupt the sale of the suspicious lot, isolate the products for expertise. If a client has symptoms such as cloudy vision, headache or nausea, the establishment should forward it for urgent medical attention and trigger the dialing.
At the federal level, Minister Ricardo Lewandowski stated that methanol cases transcend the limits of a single state and determined that the Federal Police open an inquiry to investigate the distribution network and the origin of the drug.
What the law and the authorities say
Methanol drink tampering can configure crimes against public health and the consumer, with penalties that may add. Even establishments that have not falsified the drink can be punished if they act without proper caution in buying the products.
The National Consumer Secretary, Paulo Pereira, however, stressed that not all illegal trade implies adulteration of drinks, often being only tax irregularities.
Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, in turn, ruled out the participation of the CCP in the scheme of selling counterfeit drinks with methanol in the state of São Paulo.
