Poisonous bootleg alcohol kills 14 in Siberia

Bootleg alcohol has killed 14 people in Russia while 11 more have been hospitalised, the country’s health department has said.

Fourteen people have reportedly died in Russia after drinking bootleg alcohol

According to Daily Nation, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation issued a statement claiming that the victims – all from the small Siberian village of Krasny Velikan – are thought to have died after drinking dangerous ethyl spirits.

Of the 11 victims who were hospitalised, three were said to be in a “grave condition” after suffering kidney failure.

Konstantin Ilkovsky, governor of the Zabaikalsky region, were the fatalities occurred, reportedly flew into Krasny Velikan accompanied by a number of investigators and health professionals.

Concern over Russia’s black market for alcohol has been mounting in recent years, with President Putin turning to a number of hardened measures to combat the issue.

However, since the recent implementation of a minimum alcohol pricing policy, a number of experts have expressed concern that this could lead to an increase in counterfeit and bootleg alcohol.

A minimum price policy for vodka requiring consumers pay at least RUB199 per 500 ml of the spirit came into effect in Russia on Tuesday 11 March.

A recent poll conducted by The Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM) revealed that 39% of those surveyed believed that higher taxes would “cause more clandestine alcohol to be sold”, while 34% believed “more deaths would be caused by alcohol poisoning”.

Eastern Europe has long battled with the black alcohol market, that with the Czech Republic declaring a partial prohibition after 23 people died from the consumption of methanol-laced counterfeit alcohol.