Surrogate alcohol

Alcohol not meant for human consumption

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Surrogate alcohol" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Surrogate alcohol is a term for any substance containing ethanol, or other alcohols, that is intentionally consumed by humans but is not meant for human consumption. Some definitions of the term also extend to illegally produced alcoholic beverages.[1]

Consumption of such substances carries extreme health risks, both from the ethanol content and other more toxic substances that may be present. Users risk both acute poisoning from substances such as methanol, and chronic poisoning from substances such as lead.[1]

Most people turn to these as a last resort either out of desperation, being underaged or being unable to afford consumable alcoholic beverages (with homeless alcoholics) or due to lack of access to drinking ethanol (for example with prison inmates and individuals in psychiatric wards).

## Common surrogate alcohols

[edit]

Popular Russian eau de Cologne "Тройной" (Troynoy; Triple)

Many alcoholic liquids contain alcohol but are not meant to be ingested in the same way as alcoholic beverages. Typical surrogate alcohols include:

* Aftershave, perfume or cologne
* Antifreeze
* Charcoal lighter fluid
* Cleaning fluids such as Windex
* Denatured alcohol – ethanol rendered unfit to drink by mixing with methanol or bittering agents
* Disinfectants
* Ethanol fuel
* Extracts
* Hand sanitizer
* Liquid soap
* Moonshine and other homemade alcohols, including two or more of the above mixed together
* Mouthwash
* Paint
* Rubbing alcohol
* Sterno
* Windshield washer fluid

## Dangers to health

[edit]

Most surrogate alcohols have very high alcoholic levels, some as high as 95%, and thus can lead to alcohol poisoning, along with other symptoms of alcohol intoxication such as vertigo, impaired coordination, balance and judgment, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and even long-term effects, such as heart failure, stroke, and death.

Besides alcohol, there are many other toxic substances in surrogate alcohol such as hydrogen peroxide, antiseptics, ketones, as well as alcohols other than ethanol (drinking alcohol), such as isopropanol and methanol. Methanol, and to a far lesser extent isopropanol, is poisonous. The effect of other chemicals on health has not been adequately studied, and so the health risks are unclear.[1] However, observations in countries with high consumption of surrogate alcohols, such as Russia, indicate that the impurities in the consumed drink lead to high mortality rates.[2]

In December 2016, 78 people died from drinking surrogate alcohol, poisoned with methanol, in the Russian city of Irkutsk.[3]

Serious harm and even death can quickly result from ingestion due to the high alcohol content and other substances harmful to ingestion present in some brands of mouthwash.[4] It is a common cause of death among homeless people during winter months, because a person can feel warmer after drinking it.[5]

## See also

[edit]

* Harm reduction#Alcohol
* Inhalant (individuals may also inhale gasoline or glue fumes)
* List of methanol poisoning incidents

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Lachenmeier, Dirk W.; Rehm, Jürgen; Gmel, Gerhard (October 2007). "Surrogate Alcohol: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?". Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 31 (10): 1613–1624\. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00474.x. PMID 17681034.1613-1624&rft.date=2007-10&rft_id=info:doi/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00474.x&rft_id=info:pmid/17681034&rft.aulast=Lachenmeier&rft.aufirst=Dirk+W.&rft.au=Rehm,+Jürgen&rft.au=Gmel,+Gerhard&rft_id=https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1530-0277.2007.00474.x&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Surrogate+alcohol" class="Z3988">
2. ^ "Russian 'Surrogate' Alcohols Are A Killer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 October 2005. [1] Archived 2016-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ "Vladimir Putin orders clampdown on 'surrogate' alcohol as deaths rise". The Guardian. 2016-12-21. Archived from the original on 2022-10-10.
4. ^ "What Are the Dangers of Drinking Mouthwash? | Laguna Hospital". Laguna Treatment Hospital. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
5. ^ "The People Giving Alcoholics Beer to Get Them to Stop Drinking Mouthwash". vice.com. 16 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-01-22. Retrieved 2023-01-22.

## External links

[edit]

* Bio-medicine.org
* Boozenews.ca

* v
* t
* e

Alcohol

Alcohol
use|

| Alcohol-related
crimes|

* Drunk driving
* Alcohol-related traffic crashes in the United States
* Drunk driving in the United States
* Moonshine
* Bathtub gin
* Prison alcohol
* Pájaro verde
* Pruno
* Public intoxication
* Rum-running
* Sly-grog shop
* Wine fraud

|

Alcoholism|

* Alcohol and Native Americans
* Alcoholism in adolescence
* Alcoholism in family systems
* Alcoholism in rural Australia
* Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism
* Disease theory of alcoholism
* High-functioning alcoholic (HFA)
* Seeing pink elephants

Chemistry|

* Beverage-specific
* Beer chemistry
* Wine chemistry
* Comparison of psychoactive alcohols in alcoholic drinks
* Congener
* Alcohol congener analysis
* Ethanol
* Blood alcohol content
* Fusel alcohol

Effects|

* Short-term effects of alcohol consumption
* Long-term effects of alcohol
* Pharmacology of ethanol
* Subjective response to alcohol

Adverse effects|

* Anxiety
* Aging
* Brain
* Cancer
* breast cancer
* Cortisol
* Memory
* Pregnancy
* Sleep
* Tolerance/intolerance
* Weight
* Beverage-specific
* Beer: Potomania
* Wine: Red wine headache

Social issues|

* Adulterated alcohol
* Adulterated moonshine
* Denatured alcohol (List of methanol poisoning incidents)
* Surrogate alcohol
* Alcohol abuse
* Alcohol advertising
* on college campuses
* Sex
* Beer goggles
* Alcohol myopia
* Alcohol in association football
* Alcohol use among college students
* Binge drinking
* Austrian syndrome
* Alcohol intoxication
* Epidemiology of binge drinking
* Holiday heart syndrome
* Problematic alcoholic products
* Alcohol powder
* Alcopop
* Borg
* Low-cost alcohol
* Flavored fortified wine
* Polysubstance alcoholic drinks
* Caffeinated alcoholic drink
* Coca wine
* Nicotini
* Zapoy
* Blackout
* Blackout Wednesday
* Drinking game
* list
* Pregaming
* Drinking in public
* Drunk walking
* Drunkorexia
* Dry drunk
* Dutch courage
* Flaming drink
* Hair of the dog
* Hurtful communication
* Drunk dialing
* In vino veritas
* Nightcap
* Pantsdrunk
* Passive drinking
* Binge drinking devices
* Beer bong
* Yard of ale
* Routes of administration
* Alcohol enema
* Alcohol inhalation
* Vodka eyeballing
* Sconcing

History|

* Andrew Johnson alcoholism debate
* Dionysian Mysteries
* Dipsomania
* Gilbert Paul Jordan
* Gin Craze
* List of deaths through alcohol
* Rum ration
* Rum Rebellion
* Shebeen
* Six o'clock swill
* Illegal drinking establishments
* Nip joint
* Speakeasy
* Whiskey Rebellion

General|

* Alcoholic beverage
* Beer
* Beer mile
* International Beer Day
* International Women's Collaboration Brew Day
* Women in brewing
* Drinking culture
* Apéritif and digestif
* Hangover remedies
* Health effects of wine
* Wine and food pairing
* Drunken monkey hypothesis
* Ladies' night
* List of countries by alcohol consumption per capita
* Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States
* Ritual use of alcohol
* Whiskey
* International whisk(e)y day

Alcohol
control|

| Alcohol law|

* Administrative License Suspension (ALS)
* Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012
* Alcohol exclusion laws
* Alcohol monopoly
* Alcoholic beverage control state
* Alcohol packaging warning messages
* Ban on caffeinated alcoholic drinks in the United States
* Drunk driving law by country
* DWI court
* Field sobriety testing
* Hip flask defence
* Ignition interlock device
* Dry county
* List of dry communities by U.S. state
* Last call
* Legal drinking age
* Legal drinking age in the United States
* Shoulder tap
* List of alcohol laws of US

|

Alcohol prohibition|

* List of countries with alcohol prohibition
* Neo-prohibitionism
* Temperance movement

Sobriety|

* Alcohol detoxification
* Alcohol-free zone
* Dry campus
* Open-container law
* Brief intervention
* Designated driver
* Alcohol rehabilitation
* Drunk tank
* Managed alcohol program
* Non-alcoholic drink
* List of cocktails
* List of mixed drinks
* Spritzer
* Malt drinks
* Teetotalism
* Temperance bar
* Temperance and Good Citizenship Day
* Twelve-step groups
* Al-Anon/Alateen
* Alcoholics Anonymous (AA):
* Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)
* Sober companion
* Sober curious
* Sober living house
* Sobering center
* Sobrietol
* Quit lit

Alcohol limitation|

* 0-0-1-3
* Alcohol consumption recommendations
* Alcohol education
* Alcohol server training
* Monitoring
* Breathalyzer
* Sweat alcohol content monitor
* FRAMES
* Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
* Campaigns
* Dry January
* Dry July
* Get Your Sexy Back
* Ocsober
* Liquor license
* Low-alcohol drinks
* Fermented tea
* Low-alcohol beer
* Low-alcoholic malt drinks
* Small beer
* Measurement
* Alcoholic spirits measure
* Standard drink

Addiction medicine|

* Benzodiazepines
* Chlordiazepoxide
* Disulfiram-like drugs
* Disulfiram
* Calcium carbimide
* Cyanamide
* General anaesthetics
* Nitrous oxide
* Sulfonic acids
* Acamprosate
* Homotaurine

Religion and alcohol|

* Christian views on alcohol
* Alcohol in the Bible
* Islam and alcohol

History|

* Beer Street and Gin Lane
* Bratt System
* Dry state
* Gin Act 1751
* Medicinal Liquor Prescriptions Act of 1933

Related|

* Index of alcohol-related articles
* Alcohol and spaceflight
* Gateway drug effect
* Mood disorder
* Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
* Self-medication
* Spins
* Town drunk
* French paradox

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template