Adulterated alcohol : The drink of death

If the issue of adulterated alcohol and its consequences is not a new problem in Benin, it has become current in a social context marked by inflation and the reduction in the purchasing power of the majority of the population.

It is the departmental authorities of Atacora who, the first took head-on the propensity of the inhabitants to consume adulterated alcohol. In 2018, they organized a big march in Natitingou to denounce those who make and those who sell this illegal drink. "Whether it's sodabi, pastis or other liqueurs, these alcohols are made from toxic ingredients”, denounced, at the time, the mayors of the department in a joint statement.

Despite the tug-of-war engaged since in this department, adulterated alcohol continues to circulate and sow death among a youth in search of excitement and new experiences. But the situation is not much better in the rest of the country, particularly in other large cities such as Cotonou and Porto-Novo.

The current social situation in Benin is characterized by the decline in the purchasing power of the population due to several factors, the first being inflation which has reached unprecedented levels. For exemple, the measurement of gari, staple food for low-income families, went from less than 200 CFA francs to 600 French, is triple the normal price. As well, has the level of unemployment increased, which has led some victims to take refuge in alcohol at the very moment when they have no more financial resources.

seen as a palliative, alcoholic beverages are not affordable by all, what makes the business of manufacturers of adulterated alcohol. Indeed, these counterfeit specialists are dumping on the market products that they themselves have manufactured but that they present under the names of well-known brands. They manage to quickly sell their goods, poor customers being trapped by the very attractive prices of the products. The most astute manage to sell adulterated alcohol at the same prices as the others thanks to the more or less successful imitation of the original packaging..

More, what adulterated alcohol contains and which makes it dangerous and even sometimes fatal ? According to several specialists, all the ingredients are good as long as they act on the consumer's brain. And these ingredients are often harmful, like rusty nails, plastic and even formalin, methanol tablets of dubious origin and many other dangerous psychotropic substances.

The struggle initiated by administrative officials at various levels is struggling to take because, as long as there is no drama, the phenomenon remains underground. Many victims are consenting, what matters is getting drunk. Moreover, the phenomenon often has international ramifications that go beyond local jurisdictions. So, drinks imported from Asian countries are sometimes also counterfeit.

The production and sale of adulterated alcohol is a lucrative business that generates billions of dollars internationally. Traffickers care little about the human cost that, it too is proportional to the profits generated. The fight against adulterated alcohol in Benin is a matter of public health and the State must intensify it more than ever.

La REDACTION