Bootleg alcohol kills at least 124 people in Turkey in 6 weeks
At least 124 people have died in Ankara and Istanbul in the past six weeks after drinking bootleg alcohol, and dozens more are in intensive care, state news agency Anadolu said Monday.
Some 54 people have died in the capital Ankara, where another 40 were fighting for their lives in hospital, it said.
Earlier this month, Anadolu said 70 others had died in Istanbul.
Such poisonings are relatively common in Turkey, where clandestine production is widespread and bootleg alcohol is often tainted with methanol, a toxic substance that can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
Methanol is often used in illegally produced products instead of ethanol because it's cheaper, according to a study which looked at illegally produced alcohol in southern Turkey, and it can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
The chief public prosecutor's office in Ankara arrested 28 suspects in connection with the production and sale of counterfeit alcohol, all but three of whom were later granted conditional release, Anadolu said.
On February 7, Ankara's governor had given a toll of 33 dead and 20 others in intensive care, with a spokesman for his office saying the figure was "from the beginning of the year".
Last month, 38 people died in the space of four days in Istanbul after drinking counterfeit alcohol in a surge of cases that by January 17, had left another 26 people in intensive care.
There were no official updates for another three weeks until February 7 when Anadolu said the number of dead had jumped to 70, with another 21 being treated in hospital, eight of whom were in intensive care.
Since then, there have been no further updates on their fate.
Although Turkey is a nominally secular country, alcohol taxes have risen sharply under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a Muslim who vociferously opposes drinking.
A liter bottle of raki, Turkey's aniseed-flavored national liquor, bought at a supermarket currently costs around 1,300 lira ($37.20) in a country where the minimum wage only recently hit $600 per month.
Critics say such high prices are fueling the production of moonshine.
" Counterfeit products are often cheaper than the real brands, making it more attractive to consumers looking to save money or even tourist companies attempting to cut down on costs," according to a 2015 USDA report on alcohol legislation and taxes in Turkey.
David Macaulay, America's "Explainer-in-chief"
Policing the internet in Germany, where hate speech, insults are a crime | 60 Minutes
Trump administration holding talks with Russia on Ukraine war, Zelenskyy not attending
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Report criticises ‘major failing' to gather ethnicity data on grooming gangs
The lack of data showing the ethnicity and nationality of sex offenders in grooming gangs is 'a major failing over the last decade or more', a new report has found. Officials have dodged the issue of ethnicity among the groups of sex offenders for fear of being called racist, even though available data showed suspects were disproportionately likely to be Asian men, the Home Secretary told the House of Commons. Speaking as a review of grooming gangs by Baroness Casey was published on Monday, Yvette Cooper told MPs: 'While much more robust national data is needed, we cannot and must not shy away from these findings, because, as Baroness Casey says, ignoring the issues, not examining and exposing them to the light, allows the criminality and depravity of a minority of men to be used to marginalise whole communities.' She said Baroness Casey found examples of organisations 'avoiding the topic altogether for fear of appearing racist or raising community tensions'. Ms Cooper said: 'These findings are deeply disturbing, but most disturbing of all, as Baroness Casey makes clear, is the fact that too many of these findings are not new.' Currently ethnicity is only recorded for around 37% of suspects. The report found that: 'The appalling lack of data on ethnicity in crime recording alone is a major failing over the last decade or more. Questions about ethnicity have been asked but dodged for years. 'Child sexual exploitation is horrendous whoever commits it, but there have been enough convictions across the country of groups of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds to have warranted closer examination. 'Instead of examination, we have seen obfuscation. In a vacuum, incomplete and unreliable data is used to suit the ends of those presenting it. The system claims there is an overwhelming problem with white perpetrators when that can't be proved. 'This does no-one any favours at all, and least of all those in the Asian, Pakistani or Muslim communities who needlessly suffer as those with malicious intent use this obfuscation to sow and spread hatred.' Yvette Cooper unveiled the findings from the rapid national audit to MPs, after the Prime Minister committed to launching a national inquiry into the abuse. She repeated previous apologies for abject failures to protect victims. Ms Cooper told MPs: 'On behalf of this, and past governments, and the many public authorities who let you down, I want to reiterate an unequivocal apology for the unimaginable pain and suffering that you have suffered, and the failure of our country's institutions through decades, to prevent that harm and keep you safe.' The rapid national audit looking at the scale of grooming gangs across the country was first announced in January as part of a series of measures to tackle the issue. The Home Office has also said the National Crime Agency (NCA) will carry out a nationwide operation targeting people who have sexually exploited children, and follow up on more than 800 cold cases. According to the Home Office, the NCA will work in partnership with police forces to investigate cases that 'were not progressed through the criminal justice system' in the past. On Monday, Ms Cooper said that the number of cold cases to be reviewed again over child sex abuse by grooming gangs is expected to rise to more than 1,000 in the coming weeks. The harrowing crimes targeted children, mainly girls, as young as 10, some of whom were in care, had physical or mental disabilities, or who had already suffered neglect or abuse. Baroness Casey's review looked at around a dozen live investigations into grooming gangs, and found 'a significant proportion of these cases appear to involve suspects who are non-UK nationals and/or who are claiming asylum in the UK.' The Home Secretary has pledged to exclude convicted sex offenders from the asylum system. In her report, Baroness Casey said it is time to draw a line in the sand and take action over the issue, which she called 'one of the most heinous crimes in our society'. Her report concluded: 'These actions need to be accompanied by commitments to honesty, transparency and to prioritising the safety of children above all else; by an apology to all the victims of child sexual exploitation who have been let down in the past and by a more rigorous and relentless pursuit of the minority of men who have preyed on vulnerable children and looked for gaps in our safeguarding systems to commit heinous crimes. 'Unless government and all the organisations involved are able to stand up and acknowledge the failures of the past, to apologise for them unreservedly, and to act now to put things right, including current cases, we will not move on as a society.' The Government has accepted her recommendation that any adult man who has penetrative sexual activity with a child under 16 will face a mandatory rape charge. Police forces will be made to gather data on the ethnicity and nationality of child abusers, and rules for the licensing of taxi drivers will also be tightened to stop drivers operating outside the area where they are licensed. The report also recommends that police forces should look at cold cases from the past 10 years to find missed chances for prosecutions and children who may have been abused.
The Hill
4 hours ago
- The Hill
Making America healthy begins with farmers
In January 2019, at the age of 36, I was diagnosed with metastatic cancer. Amid all of the fear and worry over my health and my future, my biggest question was, 'why did this happen?' Now, President Trump's Make America Healthy Again Commission has been established to uncover the causes of the epidemic of chronic disease in our nation's young people, particularly children, and to do something about it. The MAHA Commission's assessment report marks a historic recognition of a crisis decades in the making: The American diet, shaped by a highly consolidated food system dominated by a handful of corporations, is fueling a chronic-disease crisis. Crucially, the report emphasizes that American farmers must be at the center of the nation's health. As the sixth-generation on my own family's farm, I couldn't agree more. American farmers have contributed to an abundant and affordable food supply, but a growing share of the value created by farmers' work has been captured by major food manufacturers, processors and retailers. This concentration of corporate power has not only weakened rural economies and limited market access for farmers, it has reshaped the American diet around government-subsidized, ultra-processed products that contribute to rising rates of chronic illnesses. This crisis would not be what it is without decades of unchecked mergers and acquisitions. A handful of companies now control most of the U.S. food and farm sectors, so they decide how farmers farm and what consumers eat. The way out is by investing in healthier local food systems and enforcing antitrust laws. The government, the nation's largest food purchaser, should spend its funds with producers who use regenerative, organic and grass-fed practices. Pairing this with stronger country-of-origin meat labeling and forcing the breakup of multinational monopolies will help reshape our system and allow farmers to feed their neighbors again. The MAHA Commission's report notes how powerful corporate interests have manipulated public policy to serve industry profits over public health. To undo that influence, we must reject current attempts by pesticide companies to shield themselves from accountability; oppose legislation (such as the EATS Act) that strips local governments of their authority; and reform USDA's commodity checkoff programs, which feed farmer dollars into the pockets of lobbying groups, including many of those opposing the work of the MAHA Commission. And we should implement a mandatory cooling-off period for those employees moving between USDA and the agribusinesses the agency regulates. As the administration examines pesticides for its 2026 health assessment, the process must be free of conflicts of interest. In the meantime, we can gain independence from multinational chemical suppliers by putting a priority on diversified, low-input systems (such as organic, non-GMO and regenerative) that offer similar or greater productivity and profitability compared to conventional models. Moreover, practices like cover cropping, rotational grazing and composting help build long-term soil health, improve water retention and increase farm resilience. With the right policy support, these models can form the backbone of a food system that enables farmers to be the drivers of improved health outcomes. Finally, if we want more healthy foods, the government must invest in them. Current taxpayer-backed farm programs drive the production of commodity field crops such as corn and soybeans. Farmers have shown up to the task of producing these crops, but it's been at the expense of more nutritious crops such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains, which are deemed 'specialty crops.' These programs are undermining food security and increasing our agriculture trade deficit as we rely on other countries for fruits and vegetables. The crops the government chooses to subsidize with our tax money will be most accessible for Americans. Today, those are ingredients for ultra-processed foods and feed for livestock. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said, 'a healthy person has a thousand dreams; a sick person only has one.' I know too well the truth in these words. There is nothing more important for the future of our country than for our elected officials to set aside political differences, shake off undue corporate influence and rise to this opportunity to put American farmers, not corporate profits, at the center of our nation's health. Angela Huffman is a co-founder and president of Farm Action. She has spent 15 years in food and agriculture policy reform and market development, and raises sheep on her family's sixth-generation farm in Ohio.
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Man Thinks Turnover Is 'Over Seasoned,' Horror at What He Finds Inside
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A man had a nasty surprise when he bit into a turnover, which he initially thought was just overseasoned—only to realize it was moldy. The Reddit user, u/psilonox, shared his unfortunate discovery in the subreddit r/Wellthatsucks, where the post quickly gained traction with over 26,000 upvotes. The user said he bit into a pastry and noticed an unusually strong flavor of spices before realizing something was seriously off. "I'm surprised it didn't taste more weird, it tasted like it had too much nutmeg or cinnamon. I'm probably going to trip balls or something. when I explained to one of my housemates what happened he said 'yeah those things are moldy as f***,'" he wrote. "WHY DIDN'T YOU THROW THEM AWAY?!" he added. Consuming moldy food can pose health risks, depending on the type of mold and individual sensitivity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says some molds can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems, while others produce mycotoxins, poisonous substances that can make people ill. The USDA recommends discarding soft foods with mold entirely, as this can penetrate below the surface, making it unsafe to simply cut it away. The poster shared an update: "I didn't die. I feel fine, just a tad hungry. still mad one of the guys in my house said he saw how moldy the turnovers were but didn't pitch them. I do live in a transitional and recovery program so I have to assume he doesn't know better. I told him he has permission to pitch moldy food." Reddit users in the comments shared a mix of horror stories, sympathy, and debate over the real dangers of moldy food. "Don't worry I drank a capri sun [make of soft drink] from my local corner shop that had mold in and bird s*** on the top of the pouch (I didn't notice the bird s*** until after I drank some, it was on the opposite side) however after noticing it I tipped it away just to find it all moldy inside anyhow I ended up with 'food poisoning' for over a week. Took about 24 hours to kick in and got worse. Never drinking one again! Hope your belly is kind to you and you have no problems," said one user. Another commented: "The worst thing about realizing you ate mold is realizing you ate mold. Ingestion mold in small amounts won't hurt you in the slightest lol [laugh out loud]." Stock image: An Austrian appetizer strudel is seen with chicken, mushrooms and cheese served with sauce close-up on a board. Stock image: An Austrian appetizer strudel is seen with chicken, mushrooms and cheese served with sauce close-up on a board. ALLEKO/iStock / Getty Images Plus Others chimed in with a more cautious take. "Mold can still hurt you because the spores can release toxins that damages your body when ingested, but yeah in MOST cases it is completely harmless," said one viewer. "People are way over reacting over moldy food. Yes, it sucks, but moldy bread is way better than rotten meat or bad seafood that will give you instant food poisoning and everything that comes with it. Not to talk about getting worms etc," added another. "I am getting nauseous just from looking at it," posted a third user, echoing the sentiment of many who were put off by the experience. Newsweek reached out to u/psilonox for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case. Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work, and your story could be featured on "WSID" at Newsweek.
