Ten more people died after allegedly consuming illicit liquor in Bihar’s Siwan and Saran districts, taking the toll in the hooch tragedy to 35.

The suspected hooch tragedy has triggered a political blame game with opposition parties questioning the efficacy of the ban on sale and consumption of liquor, imposed by the Nitish Kumar government more than eight years ago.

What is hooch?

• Hooch refers to poor-quality alcohol, derived from the name of the Hoochinoo, an Alaskan tribe, known for producing strong liquor. It is typically made in unregulated, unsanitary conditions, posing significant health risks.

Production process

• Fermentation: Ethanol fermentation is the biochemical process by which sugars, such as glucose, fructose and sucrose, are converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide using yeast or other micro-organisms.

• Distillation (Optional): Hooch often has higher alcohol content than beer or wine. Distillation involves heating the fermented mixture to evaporate alcohol, which is then captured and condensed back into a liquid.

Alcohol content in liquor

• Ethanol: The psychoactive constituent responsible for intoxication, with the chemical formula C₂H₅OH.

• Alcohol Content: Ranges from 5 per cent in beer to 40 per cent or higher in distilled spirits (vodka, whiskey).

• Metabolism: Ethanol is metabolised in the liver and stomach by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) into acetaldehyde, then converted to acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).

Spurious liquor

• Definition: Fake or counterfeit alcohol, often containing methanol to increase potency. Consumption can be dangerous.

Regulation of Methanol in Alcoholic Beverages

• The Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations 2018 specify maximum permissible methanol levels, ranging from “absent” in coconut fenny to 300 grams per 100 liters in pot-distilled spirits.

Methanol: Key Facts

• Chemical Composition: Methanol (CH₃OH) consists of one carbon atom, three hydrogen atoms, and one hydroxyl group (OH).

• Regulations: Classified as hazardous under the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989 in India.

• Production: Primarily produced from carbon monoxide and hydrogen using catalysts, historically also derived from wood.

• Industrial Uses: Serves as a precursor in producing acetic acid, formaldehyde, solvents, and antifreeze.

Effects of methanol on human body

• Metabolic Acidosis: Broken down into formic acid, disrupting pH balance and leading to increased acidity in the blood.

• Cellular Oxygen Deprivation: Interferes with cytochrome oxidase, hindering cellular respiration and causing lactic acid buildup.

• Vision Impairment: Can damage the optic nerve, leading to permanent vision problems, including blindness.

• Brain Damage: Can result in cerebral edema and hemorrhage, potentially leading to coma or death.

Treatment for methanol poisoning

• Pharmaceutical-Grade Ethanol: Competes with methanol for ADH, preventing its conversion into toxic formic acid.

• Fomepizole: Inhibits ADH, slowing down methanol metabolism.

• Dialysis: Removes methanol and its toxic byproducts from the bloodstream.

• Folinic Acid: Aids in breaking down formic acid into less harmful substances.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)