Eleven dead from poisoned alcohol in Istanbul, dozens hospitalized

istanbul - At least eleven people have died in Istanbul after consuming poisoned alcohol, with nearly forty individuals hospitalized, including 26 foreigners, according to the state news agency Anadolu.

Poisonings from counterfeit alcohol are common in Turkey, where private production has surged due to increased taxes on alcoholic beverages by authorities. Just last year, 48 people in Istanbul alone died from alcohol consumption. A common additive is methanol, which enhances the potency of the drink but can lead to blindness, liver damage, and death.

The most counterfeited product is raki, the national anise-flavored spirit, whose price in supermarkets has risen to approximately 35 euros per liter, roughly a thirteenth of the Turkish monthly minimum wage. The authoritarian president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, criticized for Islamizing society, often denounces the consumption of alcohol and tobacco.