[Alcohol poisoning caused by homemade Arak and the necessity of applying the control system]

ABSTRACT

The Arak is a common alcoholic spirit in Syria, where it is produced in licensed enterprises and by some proud farmers that produce it from their grapes. However, this spirit is often produced outside the controls of the manufacturing cycle in terms of fermentation and distillation, thus exposing the consumers to risk of methanol poisoning, which confirms the need to submit Arak's production to the control as extremely essential. This study is based on a database built on a series of investigations of alcohol poisoning cases; methanol was detected and rated according to the standard chemical methods, where the results have been analyzed and treated by the statistical analysis method used in pharmaceutical research. The study showed the amount of variation in the concentration of methanol depending on the difference in the method of preparation fermenting grapes between domestic and industrial way. It also showed the role of repeated distillation to reduce the concentration of this toxic substance The results of the analysis reveal the importance of treating the high concentrations of methanol by the repeated distillation process to reach the allowable value, furthermore the importance of applying the control system to provide the quality of this popular spirit