What is an alcohol substitute? How does it differ from ordinary alcohol and what are the consequences of poisoning with this substance? Not many people know the answers to these questions. Although in such things it is better to be aware.
What is a surrogate
These are liquids that are close in chemical composition to alcohol, but which absolutely can not be used instead of alcohol. Nevertheless, not all adhere to this rule. Moreover, the domestic market is teeming with low-quality products, that is, a surrogate. The most annoying thing is that a fake can be found not only in a dubious alcohol store, but also on the shelves of huge supermarkets.
By the way, statistics say that in 98 cases out of 100 poisoning by a substitute for alcohol did not occur by mistake, it was specially used to achieve intoxication. This means that people suffering from alcoholism most often suffer from such poisoning.
Types of surrogate
Now there is a lot of “wrong” alcohol, but it can be divided into two main groups.
- Based on ethanol. This includes industrial alcohol, lotions and even medicines. These are all alcohol-containing household products. Their composition may include substances that lead not only to poisoning, but also to death.
- No ethanol. They are also called false substitutes. But their use leads to a condition similar to intoxication. These include dichlorvos, gasoline, amyl, butyl and methyl alcohols.
This list can be supplemented with colognes, disinfectants, alcohol tinctures from the pharmacy and moonshine. All this also applies to alcohol substitutes. However, you must understand that the use of these substances is dangerous to life and health.
The consequences of using surrogates
They can be very different, but never positive. Naturally, alcoholics most often suffer. In second place are teenagers. They are prone to alcohol substitutes because high-quality alcohol from the counter of a normal store is not sold to them.
But healthy adults are less likely to end up on a hospital bed because of a surrogate, since running into fake alcohol in a store that has the appropriate license is almost impossible. Although there are such precedents. You can still get low-quality alcohol as a gift.
Oddly enough, it is the alcohol surrogate that is the leader, among other causes of poisoning. Not only that, it very often leads to death. There is evidence that nine out of ten victims die before hospitalization. In addition to death, there may be other consequences, one of the most common is blindness. Toxicologists and narcologists treat such poisoning.
What is ethyl alcohol
This is a liquid that has no color, that is, it is completely transparent, has a specific smell and has a burning taste. This component is included in any type of alcoholic product. So what is alcohol made of? It all depends on what it is intended for. After all, it is used not only as the basis for alcoholic beverages. That is why there are several types of ethyl alcohol.
Types of Ethanol
- Drinking. It is used in the production of alcohol. Firstly, it contains only natural raw materials, secondly, it is made using a special technology, and thirdly, it is refined several times. Thanks to this procedure, all harmful impurities that can cause serious damage to health leave the liquid.
- Industrial. It is usually based on oil and other unnatural components. It is practically not purified, since the use of such alcohol by people is not provided.
- Medical. Such a liquid is cleaned quite thoroughly. All technical requirements indicate that this product must not be drunk. But if consumed, it will not cause more harm to the body than ordinary spirits. It can be purchased at any pharmacy without a prescription for little money. It can be based on both natural and chemical raw materials.
Important: in alcoholic drinks, in addition to alcohol, water and, most often, various aromatic additives are added.
Ethanol production
So what is alcohol made of? There are several ways to make this fluid. Non-food ethyl alcohol is produced from various raw materials. For example, manure, coal, oil, or any other element of technical origin. These components are prepared and transported to the distillery.
There the raw materials are processed in a certain way, it goes through technical distillation. Then it is poured into containers and sent to industrial enterprises. Some distilleries conduct illegal activities and send part of such a product to the manufacture of alcohol fakes.
Alcohol production
Drinking alcohol is done a little differently. Here, completely different components are used. For its manufacture, cereals, potatoes, sugar beets, sugarcane and other natural elements are used. These raw materials are thoroughly processed. In the next step, yeast is added and the fermentation process begins. The result is superior quality alcohol. Now it can be sent to distilleries. Alcohol purification takes place directly where alcohol will be produced.
Note: most often, inexpensive raw materials are used for the production of alcohol, since it requires careful processing and several degrees of purification, the production process is greatly stretched.
What is drinking alcohol
There are many varieties of it, it all depends on what kind of alcohol will be produced from it. For its manufacture, cereals, grapes, fruits, berries, sugarcane, agave and many other raw materials can be used.
For example, whiskey production requires crops such as barley or corn. To produce brandy, brandy or Armagnac you will need grape spirit. In no case can technical alcohol be present in these drinks. Otherwise, you get a substitute for alcohol.
The process for producing fruit alcohols has several differences. So, for example, the berries are most often soaked in ordinary drinking ethanol and get a kind of flavored product. Apple alcohol is used to produce calvados.
It is believed that sugar cane is used for the production of rum, this is not entirely true. Since this product is used to make sugar directly. After this, the waste material is obtained - black molasses. It is from it that they produce rum.
For the manufacture of tequila, blue agave is used, and for the production of absinthe, alcohol flavored with herbs is used.
How to drink drinking alcohol
In order to avoid severe intoxication, in no case should you mix alcohol-containing products of different origin. That is, you should not switch from vodka to cognac, and then add tequila. Even taking into account that their alcohol level is the same, the body is unlikely to cope with such a variety. And the risk of a severe hangover increases at times. In addition, in order to protect yourself from a substitute for alcohol, you should buy alcohol only in large supermarkets or specialized stores with a good reputation. The composition of the drinks should not be dubious ingredients. Moreover, good alcohol must have a certificate confirming compliance with GOST.
Important: quality alcohol cannot be cheap.
The right brandy
At the moment, the problem of low-quality alcohol is more relevant than ever. From TV screens almost every week they talk about mass poisoning by a surrogate. It is unlikely that in the near future the authorities will cope with this problem. In order not to get into an unpleasant situation, it is better to know in advance how to distinguish cognac from a fake. There are several points that you definitely need to pay attention to.
Drink consistency
Good brandy is always thick and oily. In order to check this, you need to turn the container with its neck down. If “tears” creep along the bottom and walls, then the products are of high quality. Another good sign is one large drop that has fallen from the bottom.
It happens that a bottle is filled to the brim with a drink. Then, of course, the above method does not work. In this situation, you need to pay attention to the bubbles that rise when turned over. In a good cognac, large bubbles will rise first, and only then small ones. This suggests that the drink has the desired consistency.
There should be no impurities or precipitation in high-quality alcohol. That is, it should be perfectly transparent. Color can vary from amber to dark brown. The older the brandy, the darker it will be.
Also, the color depends on the age of the barrels in which it was aged and the amount of caramel color. But it is worth noting once again that regardless of color, the drink should be transparent. If there is even a hint of turbidity and sediment, brandy should not be bought.
Label quality
First of all, pay attention to how it is glued. If alcohol is made using the artisanal method, then most likely the label on the bottle will not hold well and look asymmetrical. If the drink is expensive and not fake, then its sticker is likely to be embossed, similar to a banknote.
All information must be indicated on the bottle: manufacturer, bottling date, expiration date, composition and so on. If the quality of the label paper does not inspire confidence or a fuzzy print, then it is better to leave this drink in the store.
True specialists distinguish the original from the counterfeit precisely on the label, but this requires certain equipment. Another important point is the excise stamp. Its presence is required.
The price of quality alcohol
A good quality drink is expensive. If somewhere they offer cheap cognac, then it is either fake or not high quality. The high price of this alcoholic drink is quite justified, since the production process is quite complicated and costly. Not a single cognac factory will work at a loss.
Beware if you offer to buy a drink at the level of Courvoisier or Camus percent 30-40 cheaper. This is a clear fake. Externally, it is unlikely to distinguish a fake from the original. Since this is a high level counterfeit. And poisoning them, too, is most likely impossible. But the pleasure is not that.
The only way to insure yourself against scammers in this case is to not buy such a product in suspicious places. Only at points with a license. And you need to require a certificate for expensive alcohol.