Why did people poison themselves with "Hawthorn"?

In the Irkutsk region, a tragedy occurred - mass poisoning of people with surrogate alcohol. Over seventy people died drinking an alcohol-containing liquid, not intended for domestic consumption. The cause of the lethal outcome was the extract for the baths "Hawthorn", as it turned out, a fake. What conclusion should be drawn from this incident that has brought grief to dozens of families? What should be done both at the personal and the state level so that citizens do not die under similar circumstances?

What's "Hawthorn"?

A plastic bottle of "useful for the body infusion" contains in the original version (OOO Legat, St. Petersburg) a quarter liter of the solution, in the content of which predominates ethyl alcohol C₂H₅OH, some chemists jokingly abbreviated "OH", according to the last letters of the chemical Formulas in the Russian reading. Almost all other additives in the form of extract of hawthorn, lemon oil and glycerin for health are practically harmless, which explains the popularity of this drug among drinkers and people suffering from alcoholism. However, there is an officially produced cosmetic agent and a rather harmful ingredient - diethyl phthalate. What for it is mixed in this liquid, only producers, sanitation specialists and other workers involved in production know. This ether is used most often for denaturing (or, more simply, in order not to drink alcohol) and fixing the perfume. The substance is harmful to health, it accumulates in the body with regular internal use and even in time it reaches a deadly concentration in it. Therefore, a warning of the relevant content is printed on the label of each bottle.

Instructions

This bottle, according to the manufacturer, should be enough for two baths. In warm water, you should add the product, and then you can stay in it no longer than 20 minutes. In fact, there are variants of hawthorn tincture and for consumption inside, in which the same denaturing agent of diethyl phthalate is absent, but the dosage of such agents is measured by 30-40 drops. Healing qualities consist of sedative (calming) effect, stimulation of cardiac activity, lowering of blood pressure, overcoming of allergic reactions, but this tincture becomes harmful with excessive consumption. This rule generally applies to any medication, both pharmaceutical and fully natural. In any case, tinctures of herbs on alcohol - a very undesirable substitution for food alcoholic beverages, the abuse of which is also very harmful.

Where more people are poisoned?

Every normal person was unpleasantly surprised by the malicious reaction to the Irkutsk tragedy by the Ukrainian media and even by officials (at the level of authorized ambassadors), expressed in a mocking manner. More recently, in the same month, residents of several regions of this country also suffered from the use of surrogate alcohol, with the death of not less people. Reasons for joy about some imaginary national superiority are clearly absent. Besides, not only representatives of the Slavic peoples are being faked, such a problem exists in Europe, and in America, and in other parts of the world. This is a problem to be dealt with.

Why drink?

If you consider the official product of LLC Legat, then with all the undesirability of using it instead of vodka (for which it is not intended), it can not lead to the instant death of a large number of people. Yes, if you drink it for a long time and regularly, it will cause harm to health, but not more than, for example, cologne, a roughly purified moonshine or other substitute for alcohol. The reason that "Hawthorn" enjoys such popularity among people suffering from alcoholism, possessing low purchasing power, is purely economic. A quarter liter of almost pure alcohol costs 70 rubles, and when you dilute the contents of water in this amount will cost the equivalent of a bottle of vodka (even slightly more). At the same time in the store a similar "dose" costs about 200 rubles. "Savings" is evident.

Forgery

Immediately after the mass death of people the police of the city of Irkutsk conducted raids, during which law enforcers discovered a lot of counterfeit, including counterfeit "Hawthorn" in huge quantities. The inspections were aimed not only at identifying warehouses and places of clandestine production, but also at identifying logistic flows, a distribution network and other criminal infrastructure. So far, 2.2 thousand deciliters of liquids have been found, positioned as alcoholic beverages (representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs I. Wolf). Nevertheless, a counterfeit "Hawthorn" was found in the amount of ten thousand bottles ready for shipment to the consumer. Formally, it can not even be taken from the food industry. This is a counterfeit cosmetic.

Differences in counterfeit

The results of the analysis of the counterfeit "Hawthorn" have not been published, but it can be assumed that illegal technological producers, such as the addition of lemon oil and glycerin, did not bother the illegal producers, let alone the extract of the berries themselves. Certainly in the composition there was no such harmful component as the mentioned diethylphthalate. Instead of the wine (ethyl) alcohol, lethal methanol was present in the liquid, differing in chemical formula (CH₃OH instead of C₂H₅OH) and representing a poison of almost instantaneous action. However, doctors who saved poisoned people, and so stated all the symptoms of poisoning with wood (methyl) alcohol. From the same muck, by the way, in December, Ukrainian drinkers also died, who allegedly bought factory stolen vodka in plastic bottles made from mineral water. If this liquid is poured into the bath, then it can harm the health. Ethanol is absorbed into the blood through the skin, and its vapors are dangerous.

"Market positioning"

The criminal production of counterfeit vodka and other spirits is certainly a more profitable business than making a counterfeit bath extract, at least because of the higher retail price of the original product. Almost certainly the owners of the underground shops for bottling the false "Hawthorn" were aware of the fact that basically it will not be used for cosmetic procedures. If in this case the terms "market positioning" and "economic strategy" are applicable, they consisted in "work on the reverse". As buyers, people who did not have the means to buy "shop" vodka were considered, but who experience a painful daily need in alcohol. They bought the "Hawthorn" not for bathing, but to drink.

Legal aspect of the case

There is no doubt that the perpetrators of the deaths will be brought to justice. The problem is that lawyers of twelve detainees will certainly try to mitigate the punishment, arguing the actions of their clients by the fact that the counterfeit produced by them was not intended for consumption as an alcoholic beverage, as the labels on the bottles informed. The precedent was three years ago when a certain A.S. Snkhchyan was engaged in illegal sale of bath extract (the same "hawthorn"). Then there were no lethal cases, and she was given a rather mild sentence (200 hours of community service). Lethal poisoning of more than seventy victims requires a more rigorous approach. At the moment, suspicion is filed under Art. 238 (the sale of goods that do not meet the safety requirements that caused the death of two or more persons), that is, in fact, a murder committed through negligence, which provides for imprisonment for 5-10 years.

Is pre-trial investigation.