South China's Guangdong Province launched an emergent inspection
on bulk liquor Friday following four deaths of alcoholism in the
province's Baiyun District, the provincial health department
announced.
Governments at various levels in the province were required to
carry out inspections on all alcohol manufacturers.
It is strictly prohibited for all liquor producers to blending
industrial alcohol or methanol in their products and they should
strengthen administration on the materials purchasing and product
quality.
In addition, Guangdong also strengthened inspection on the
qualification of all alcohol sellers.
To prevent fake liquor products enter the market, all alcohol
sellers were not allowed to purchase liquor from the producers with
no official operating license and products quality certificate.
Two men died of alcoholism Wednesday in Baiyun District of
Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, following
another two deaths of alcoholism in the district on Tuesday, the
local government confirmed Friday.
In addition, eight males, who were suspected as having been
sickened by formaldehyde, were receiving treatment in the No. 12
People's Hospital of Guangzhou, said an official with the Guangzhou
city government, who declined to give his name.
The two new deaths are Wang Funian and Hou Shangjian, from Taihe
Town. Both reported symptoms of alcoholism Monday afternoon after
drinking liquor bought in the same stall, and they died in hospital
after emergency treatment failed on Wednesday, said the
official.
The deaths of Wang and Hou followed another toxic alcohol case
in the district's Zhongluotan Town, which killed a 58-year-old man
and a migrant worker from central China's Hunan Province on Tuesday
night.
The local government acted promptly after receiving the separate
reports of similar deaths, and an investigation by the local health
department showed that the deaths were caused by fake liquor.
Police have detained 12 people, who were suspected of blending
industrial alcohol with rice wine and selling them to local markets
and stalls. A total of 94.72 tons of distilled spirit in bulk were
confiscated for examination and five rice wine workshops with no
official operating license were closed.
In addition, local government called for residents not to buy
alcohol products in bulk and publicized the knowledge on alcoholism
prevention through newspapers and TV programs.
(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2004)