400+ people have died in Iran from drinking bootleg alcohol.
In Iran, alcohol is illegal and as a result there is a black market of sorts in the country. One of the unintended consequences of the black market is that you have bootleggers who sell fake alcohol and unfortunately these bootleggers are people who don’t have regard for human life.
Recently, 400+ Iranians ingested bootleg alcohol that contained methanol and died as a result.
There may have also been a connection to some believing that ingesting high-proof alcohol could boost their immunity against the virus plaguing the world and their country so badly. However, bootleg alcohol poisoning in Iran is apparently a recurring problem.
I thought this situation was tragic but also a great reminder to people who are interested in traveling to these places where alcohol is illegal or highly regulated.
Although things are very tricky with our country’s relationship with Iran right now, I’m sure many people are curious or interested in eventually traveling to some corners of the globe where they will run into similar policies.
Sometimes all it takes is hitting it off with a friendly local in a foreign city and then all of a sudden you find yourself at a crossroads of adventure versus personal safety. In speaking from experience, sometimes that temptation can cloud your judgment, especially in the heat of the moment.
I think it’s vital to remember that you need to keep your guard up when it comes to purchasing or consuming anything like alcohol in these locations. As this example illustrates, you could potentially be ingesting something that could be fatal.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.