Health authorities and police are reporting that the number of deaths due to the consumption of tainted alcohol over the last week has risen, with 37 being the latest figure.

National news agency Bernama writes that as of Sunday night, the toxic alcohol pandemic saw 24 cases in Selangor, 10 in Kuala Lumpur, and three in Perak, with 18 still in hospital receiving treatment.

Most of those affected in Selangor state were foreign nationals, with two Malaysians reported dead. Other victims were from Bangladesh (two), Nepal (eight), Myanmar (10), India (one) and another whose nationality is unknown.

Customs officials have started inspecting 149 different alcohol purveyors, seizing 20 bottles of Volcano brand liquor, from premises inspected.

Previously unaffected, Ipoh, the largest city in Perak state, is reporting that three local men between their 30s and 40s passed away over the weekend.

Two cases in Seremban, in Negri Sembilan state are currently awaiting confirmation today from blood toxicology reports.

Last week, local publication The Sun Daily reported that several illegal backyard distilleries had recently cropped up, run by foreigners, and were now producing cheap alcohol, mostly for foreign workers.

One licensed liquor trader that they spoke to stated that he has seen some migrant workers consume 350ml of compounded spirits daily, about half the bottle.

“As most legal liquor are priced above RM15 a bottle, these workers opt for cheaper and illicit ones that are manufactured by unscrupulous people,” said the unnamed trader.

“Some of these illegal distilleries are run by foreigners. The packaging comes with fancy labels. Cheap liquor is usually sold at small sundry shops or stalls frequented by foreigners. Licensed liquor shops rarely sell illicit drinks as they mainly cater to locals.”

Reports that some of the men died after consuming India’s Kingfisher beer could mean that illicit relabeling was also an issue, as the beer’s licensed importer ceased bringing in the lager four years ago.

Actual Kingfisher “is premium beer, and undergoes stringent quality control” says one trader. He believes that it’s likely that the beers were fake.

Last week, we reported a spate of deaths over the holiday long weekend, mostly affecting foreign laborers in the Sungai Buloh area, with tainted liquor being blamed as the cause. Stay safe, read up on how some unscrupulous vendors are shilling relabeled bottles, and learn to spot the difference.

The post Thirty-seven deaths across Malaysia now linked to tainted alcohol appeared first on Coconuts.</s>A total of 21 people, mostly foreign workers, have now died from drinking tainted alcohol in Malaysia, authorities said Wednesday as police made a series of arrests over the scandal.

The victims, who include three Malaysians as well as people from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, died after drinking whisky and beer in and around the capital Kuala Lumpur.

The first death happened Monday night and the toll has risen steadily since. Relatively affluent Malaysia attracts migrants from poorer parts of Asia who typically work in low-paying jobs such as on plantations and construction sites.

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said that in addition to the 21 people who had died, another 36 had been taken ill due to drinking the tainted alcohol.

"We are very concerned. This adulterated liquor is secretly made," he told a press conference. "There are unscrupulous people out there seeking to make money by producing these adulterated drinks."

Police raided shops around Kuala Lumpur and seized huge stashes of whisky and beer as they sought to take the tainted alcohol off the market.

Five men and two women who were running some of the stores were arrested, police said, according to official news agency Bernama. They were from Malaysia, Myanmar and India.

Dzulkefly said the last major tragedy involving tainted alcohol in Malaysia occurred in 2013, when 29 foreigners died.

Deaths from drinking bootleg liquor are more common in other Asian countries, such as India and Indonesia.</s>A total of 21 people, mostly foreign workers, have now died from drinking tainted alcohol in Malaysia, authorities said Wednesday as police made a series of arrests over the scandal.....Read more via The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper – https://ift.tt/2Dag4vN Get more World News</s>At least 21 people, mostly migrant workers, have died of suspected poisoning from contaminated alcohol in Malaysia.

Police raided shops around Kuala Lumpur and seized huge stashes of whisky and beer in an attempt to take the tainted alcohol off the market.</s>, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sep 18 – Fifteen men, most believed to be foreign workers, have died in Malaysia and 33 more are in hospital with suspected poisoning after consuming alcoholic drinks, police said Tuesday.

The victims drank two types of whisky and one type of beer at several locations in Selangor state next to the capital Kuala Lumpur, said local police chief Mazlan Mansor.

The first victim was a factory worker who died on Monday evening while the latest passed away on Tuesday afternoon, the official news agency Bernama reported.

The first seven to die were one Malaysian, four Nepalis, one Indian and one Bangladeshi, Mazlan said. He did not disclose the identities of all the other victims but added most were believed to be foreign workers.

“The official cause of death is yet to be confirmed. However initial investigations found all of them were admitted to hospital after consuming alcohol,” the police chief said in a statement.

Local media said police confiscated boxes of various types of alcohol from some shops following the deaths.

Relatively affluent Malaysia is home to an army of migrant workers from other Asian countries, who typically toil in low-paying jobs in factories, on building sites and on plantations.

Deaths caused by bootleg alcohol have been rare in Malaysia in recent years unlike in other Asian countries such as India and Indonesia, where fatalities from fake booze are common.</s>KUALA LUMPUR
• A total of 21 people, mostly foreign workers, have died from drinking tainted alcohol in Malaysia, the authorities said yesterday as police made a series of arrests over the scandal.

The victims, including three Malaysians as well as people from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, died after drinking whisky and beer in and around the capital, Kuala Lumpur. The first death took place on Monday and the toll has risen steadily since.

VERSAILLES (France)
• A French court yesterday upheld a €45,000 (S$81,000) fine and dismissed an appeal by editors of gossip magazine Closer for publishing pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing topless.

The court upheld the maximum fine handed to the editors by a lower court for invading the privacy of Prince William's wife, Kate, with its 2012 publication.

LOS ANGELES
• An orthopaedic surgeon in California, who once appeared on a dating reality show, and his girlfriend have been charged with drugging and sexually assaulting two women, in a case prosecutors suspect might involve hundreds of other victims.

The authorities said on Tuesday they had received dozens of leads in the probe, just hours after a press conference held to try to get other women to come forward.

The surgeon, Grant William Robicheaux, 38, and his girlfriend, Cerissa Laura Riley, 31, were charged on Sept 11 with rape as well as drug and weapons-related offences in connection with two alleged assaults.</s>KUALA LUMPUR: Fifteen men, most believed to be foreign workers, have died in Malaysia and 33 more are in hospital with suspected poisoning after consuming alcoholic drinks, police said on Tuesday.

The victims drank two types of whisky and one type of beer at several locations in Selangor state next to the capital Kuala Lumpur, said local police chief Mazlan Mansor.

The first victim was a factory worker who died on Monday evening while the latest passed away on Tuesday afternoon, the official news agency Bernama reported. The first seven to die were one Malaysian, four Nepalis, one Indian and one Bangladeshi, Mazlan said. He did not disclose the identities of all the other victims but added most were believed to be foreign workers.

"The official cause of death is yet to be confirmed. However initial investigations found all of them were admitted to hospital after consuming alcohol," the police chief said in a statement. Relatively affluent Malaysia is home to an army of migrant workers from other Asian countries, who typically toil in low-paying jobs in factories, on building sites and on plantations.</s>Watching people on television indulge in a few glasses of wine is nothing new, especially when those people are wealthy women with a lot of time on their hands and a penchant for drama. But one reality TV star has recently opened up about how drinking affects her depression.

WATCH BELOW: The signs of depression you should not ignore

Stephanie Hollman, star of The Real Housewives of Dallas, spoke to UsWeekly about her struggle with depression and how the few drinks she’ll sometimes enjoy have a tendency to put her in a “dark place.”

“[Depression has] changed my relationship on alcohol in that I get … I’m kind of scared of alcohol,” she said. “I’m very aware … like sometimes I’ll let loose and have fun, but I do it maybe once every six weeks even. On the show, I usually drink two or three glasses, but I kind of know my limits. And I will have fun, but the next day I will be depressed for no reason, for a good three days.”

Although Hollman erroneously characterizes alcohol as an “antidepressant” in the interview, she said that she knows now to avoid drinking if she already feels that she’s having another bout of depression.

“Alcohol is a depressant of the central nervous system that has the potential to do a number of different things, non-mood related and mood-related,” Dr. Jonathan Bertram, an addictions medicine physician at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, says. “From a mood standpoint, it can lower a person’s mood temporarily and in some cases, the side effects of a hangover or the prolonged effect of alcohol can exacerbate depression.”

However, he says, this doesn’t necessarily mean that all people living with depression need to cut out drinking alcohol altogether. There are two things to consider if you suffer from depression and have also developed a dependency on alcohol.

READ MORE: Depression or young onset dementia? Here’s how to tell the difference

“In the short term, we usually recommend that a person goes to see their physician because there are clear risks to abruptly stopping alcohol use, including seizures and delirium tremens or DTs,” he says. “The long-term piece is a bit more of a grey area, and depends on whether the person can successfully address and approach the management of depression while drinking in a reduced way. It’s not a one-size-fits-all recommendation.”

One thing to consider, however, is how alcohol could mix with any antidepressants you might be on. Some medications are metabolized more specifically by the liver and if a person’s drinking has led to liver dysfunction, how they react to the medication could pose some difficulty.

“There are also symptomatic complications. We know that 10 to 15 per cent of people will feel more fatigued or low due to an antidepressant. That feeling will go away in the first couple of weeks, but drinking during that time could exacerbate it.”

Most importantly, he says, seek help if you feel that things are overwhelming and you can’t cope. And in the event that you’re experiencing both depression and a dependency on alcohol, address both issues.

“In many cases, a person will feel so guilty about their substance abuse that they’ll be willing to report on their depression but not on their alcohol use,” Bertram says. “But you can seek assessment and treatment for both together.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.

The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, Depression Hurts and Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 all offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, may be suffering from mental health issues.</s>SHAH ALAM: Malaysian authorities have arrested at least nine people during a series of raids in Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley in connection with a recent string of alcohol poisoning deaths.



The first death was reported on Monday night and the toll has risen steadily since. A total of 21 people have now died from drinking tainted alcohol, said the Health Ministry on Tuesday (Sep 19).



Another 36 have taken ill, some of them in critical condition. 



"The number of cases is expected to increase as more patients come in for treatment," Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told a news conference in the administrative capital of Putrajaya.



Five Malaysians were among those affected, while the rest were foreigners from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Nepal, Dzulkefly added.



He said authorities tested several types of alcoholic drinks and found that some samples contained methanol in higher proportions than authorised.



Symptoms of methanol poisoning include shortness of breath, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, severe headaches, blurred vision and stiffness.



"We are very concerned. This adulterated liquor is secretly made," Dzulkefly told reporters. "There are unscrupulous people out there seeking to make money by producing these adulterated drinks."

Police raided shops in Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding state of Selangor and seized huge stashes of whisky and beer as they sought to take the tainted alcohol off the market.



Selangor police chief Mazlan Mansor said seven of the arrested suspects were grocery store operators and their employees, including two Myanmar nationals and three Indian nationals.



"In the raids, at least 1,030 bottles of whiskey and 1,767 cans of beer of various brands were seized.



“The arrests and seizures were made under Section 135 of the Customs Act,” he said.



When asked about the possibility that all the shops had obtained their alcohol from the same supplier, Mazlan said the matter is still being investigated.



“After news of the alcohol poisoning was reported in the media, several grocery shops immediately closed probably because they do not want to be involved or wanted to get rid of the alcoholic drinks that could implicate them,” he said.



Myanmar national Min Laung Ain, one of the victims who is now in critical condition in hospital, is believed to have bought an alcoholic drink from at a shop in Bangi Lama. 



His employer, A Selva, told reporters that the 38-year-old factory worker had shared the alcoholic beverage with several friends.

“I am puzzled how something so terrible can happen, I understand that the victim and three friends only drank half of the alcohol in the one-litre container,” he said, adding that he would be lodging a police report on the incident.</s>At least 19 people have died and more are receiving treatment, following a series of suspected alcohol poisoning in recent days, Malaysian authorities said on Wednesday.

More than 50 cases were reported in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and the neighbouring Selangor State.

Selangor police said on Wednesday that seven suspects, who are operators and shop workers selling alcohol, were arrested.

Police also seized 1,030 bottles of whisky and 1,767 cans of beer in a series of raids in the state.

An earlier statement by the health ministry said three of those reported unwell are Malaysians, while 48 of them are foreigners from Myanmar, Nepal, Bangladesh and India.

About 19 have died and some are in critical condition, the ministry said.

Most of the victims had shown early signs of methanol poisoning, including stomachaches, nausea, vomiting, headaches and blurred vision with some developing shortness of breath, cramps and sudden unconsciousness.

They had consumed several brands of whiskey and beers purchased from multiple shops on Monday.

Samples of the alcoholic beverage taken during the investigation at the sale premises have been sent to lab analysis of the content, according to the ministry.

It warned that the number of causality is expected to increase with more patients coming in for treatment of methanol poisoning.

The Nepali Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed on Wednesday that six Nepali nationals died and 16 Nepali nationals were injured from alcohol poisoning in the state of Selangor in Malaysia.

The ministry said in a statement that six Nepali nationals, who fell sick after consuming alcohol in Malaysia, died during their treatment at Sungai Buloh Hospital and Kajang Hospital based in Selangor.
A total of 37 people, mostly foreign workers, are confirmed dead due to the drinking of tainted alcohol in Malaysia.