On March 7, Hanoi held an urgent meeting to discuss measures on tightening control over alcohol production and business activities in the city.

A patient faces alcohol poisoning

The Poison Control Centre at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi has received 11 alcohol poisoning patients over the past ten days, including one death.

According to the centre, many among these patients drank alcohol of unclear origin. The patients, who are mostly in the Hanoi districts of Dong Da, Thanh Xuan, Hoang Mai and Phuc Tho, were hospitalised with symptoms of eyesight problems, blackouts and low blood pressure.   

Hanoi authorities recently seized nearly 2,000 litres of alcohol without unclear origin after checking 170 alcohol production and business establishments. 

Particularly, municipal inspectors detected one rice store selling alcohol with methanol content 2,002 times more than the regulated level.

Last month, more than 100 people in Phong Tho District in Lai Chau Province suffered from methanol poisoning after eating at a local funeral, including nine deaths.

dtinews