Stories of mass poisoning with burnt alcohol occur regularly in Russia. In addition, people who have long bought an inexpensive drink from the same manufacturer may one day find themselves in the other world. Denis Puzyrev, the author of the book The Newest History of Russia in 14 Bottles of Vodka, explained to Russian media why this time cider became a defendant in such a story, how methyl alcohol enters the production chain and what consequences the incident with Mister Cider will have.
How are methyl alcohol drinks offered for sale?
Any production of alcoholic products in which alcohol is used is a permitted activity. If, for example, we produce vodka, certain kinds of tinctures, gin and tonic, or even low-alcohol drinks, this requires compliance with a whole bunch of different standards, which are not always easy to implement and require additional means. . It is necessary to have an authorized and specially equipped warehouse. In addition, checks will constantly come to him, find violations and fines.
If we are talking about some kind of large and serious production, then its owner understands that these are inevitable costs. He is ready to take on these expenses and all the hemorrhoids associated with it. But if we are talking about smaller production, then everything can already be different.
The makers of “Mr. Cider”, in fact, made low-alcohol drinks with the addition of alcohol, while passing them off as beer drinks. The difference is that beer-based drinks, including cider, are in a separate category. They are fermented drinks. Alcohol for them is not bought somewhere, but is released naturally as a result of fermentation processes.
Press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Ulyanovsk region
But since in this case we are talking about a burnt burda, so the manufacturer had to take alcohol somewhere. Since the declared production process does not provide for its use, alcohol was not purchased on the open market, where all movements of goods are tracked, including with the help of GLONASS, but on the black. How? Yes, it’s very simple – you go to Yandex, enter “buy alcohol” and you get a bunch of different links.
In most cases, this will be normal, semi-legal ethyl alcohol produced by some pharmaceutical companies. It can be called, for example, “an antiseptic alcoholic solution”, that is, intended for disinfecting the hands.
All these productions are known. First is Bryntsalov’s “Ferrein”, whose abilities still work. And if we look at videos or photos of an operational shoot called “agents covered up the illegal production of alcohol”, then we will definitely see 20-liter canisters marked “Ferreina” or several other large alcohol producers. However, they have nothing to complain about. Manufacturers sell their products to their counterparties and they have no obligation to know where they send them next.
Business logic is to cut costs – buy where it’s cheaper. When you follow this logic, and no one controls you – because according to the newspapers you produce completely different things, the same lemonade or fermented drinks – then there is a risk that at some point you will get into some bullshit.
Did the maker of “Mr. Cider” know he was sending for sale
I don’t think we can speak here of some kind of sabotage, of the fact that they intentionally wanted to poison people. Maybe they just saw a new supplier who said, they say, we’ll sell you alcohol 50 kopecks cheaper. The cans are packed, no one even thinks to try their contents. Outwardly it is the same – a colorless liquid, it smells of alcohol. There is no possibility or particular desire to verify it in the laboratory. I suspect that’s how they stumbled upon methyl alcohol.
By the way, the famous poisoning of Irkutsk with “fanfuriks” in 2015 occurred against the background of long conversations about the need to regulate the medical alcohol market. At that time, all kinds of cheap tinctures and “lotions” were sold on the street from vending machines, near which alcoholics constantly crowded.
Press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Ulyanovsk region
The discussion about this went on for many years, various round tables were held. But only when a lot of people died in Irkutsk, Putin, who, as you know, is the center of all decision-making in general, hit the table with his fist and said, they say, there you are for three weeks. I don’t know what you’re going to do, but so that this garbage doesn’t happen again. Immediately, as if by magic, solutions were found that could not be found in previous years.
Now the situation is similar. People poisoned themselves with a drink in the context of a long discussion about the introduction of labeling of beer drinks, which include all kinds of ciders and meads. It seems rather strange.
Many brewers say: we don’t drive vodka, which can be illegal and dangerous. We have a more or less law-abiding segment of the market that has never experienced such episodes. And there you go! Right in the middle of this discussion, people are dying not of vodka or hawthorn, but of cider. And those who promote the introduction of this marking will say that if it were, such a scandal would not have happened. I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, but it’s just an incredible coincidence.
Could the root of the problem be in liquor stores?
It seems to me that there is a reversal of cause and effect. It’s one thing when, for example, the inhabitants of the house in which such a point is located complain about “liquids”. These complaints are subjective. Residents expect a certain level of comfort, peace and public order.
But when we talk about the fact that “cider” was sold in the “nalivayka” and people were poisoned with it, first of all I want to ask the control authorities, in particular Rospotrebnadzor. Because the control of collective catering establishments and these establishments is its responsibility.
The liquor store owner will just tell you that he can’t taste everything that comes his way. He has official documents, product quality certificates, which must be attached to them, this person pays taxes in good faith – what are the claims against him? If these documents are not available, then questions for state supervisory authorities arise here.
We know very well how their work works. When a fire watch arrives, he does not look at the inventory, but checks the availability and the willingness to pay the inspectors the loot from his owners. And then there’s a fire with a bunch of victims. As Nikolai Karachentsov said in a movie, “corruption will destroy this country.”
Why the victims of “Mr. Cider” were mostly women
Cider in Russia is widely considered a drink for women. More proletarian, of course, for women who don’t have access to all sorts of cocktails like the Aperol syringe, the mojito, etc.
Cider low in alcohol, light. Not every ladies in the city of Dimitrovgrad, where, by the way, I went, can afford to sit down with an elite drink.
Moreover, everyone wants to feel like a sophisticated woman. And here’s an alternative – we bought “Mr. Cider” and sat down with the girls.
What will happen now and is it worth waiting for the continuation of substandard alcohol intoxication in Russia
Speaking specifically about “Mr. Cider” and this whole situation, now, of course, everyone in the Ulyanovsk region has their ass burning with terrible force. After all, this region is historically known for its fight against the menace of alcohol. When Sergey Morozov was governor there, he became famous as a sobriety fighter. Thus, this particular production and the entire commodity production chain will be cleared with terrible force.
I am truly sorry for the innocent victims of this story, that is to say for cider itself as a drink. Yes, the warning not to drink it is a temporary story to prevent poisoning.
But now cider will be seen in a negative light. But, if we talk about import substitution, it is an excellent drink, and it had rich prospects. Unlike grapes, apples grow everywhere in our country, the industry is developing.
The traditional Moscow summer cider festival, in my opinion, is the best and most interesting compared to all kinds of wine events. This year it will be held in Ostankino Park, and 50 top Russian manufacturers will present their products, including those from the Pskov and Leningrad regions, which are leaders in this field.
Of course, the industry will survive all of this. But it seems to me that the damage to reputation will have to be repaired in one way or another, to prove to the consumer that what happened to the real cider, in addition to the inscription on the label, did not nothing to see. Cider cannot be poisoned. This is a fermented drink, no alcohol is added separately.
As for the overall intoxication due to the consumption of alcohol, in my opinion, such a risk will remain, because it is seen that there is no tendency to reduce its consumption.
On the contrary, against a background of stress related to political and economic situations, its consumption is still increasing. It may not be very good, but such is life.
People’s incomes are not increasing and people will look for cheaper alternatives to well-known and high-quality brands. It is impossible to fully guarantee that the very alternative these people find will not end up fatal.
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