19 Dead After Consuming Toxic Alcohol in Morocco

According to authorities, the owner of the stall, a 48-year-old suspect was taken into custody after investigators found over 50 liters of the liquid were found in his business establishment. The victims were reported to have consumed the alcohol in the store owner's shop before they began to have complications. A nurse at Ksar El Kebir told the media that victims who checked in at the hospital were suffering from vomiting, stomach cramps and headaches. According to comments from a local health ministry to reporters, nine bodies were initially found at the hospital on Tuesday and the death toll rose to 19 on Wednesday.

Because Morocco is a muslim country, the sale and consumption of alcohol is forbidden. Earlier this year, Moroccans started a petition, calling for Moroccan authorities to cancel Germany's renowned Oktoberfest in Morocco. Over 21,000 Moroccans signed the petition to cancel the event. Although the use of, and sale of alcohol is expressly forbidden in Morocco, there are business owners who secretly carry the items in their stores, and over the years, agencies have conducted research to research the uptick in alcohol consumption.

In spite of the country's active campaigns against the use of drugs and anti-alcohol awareness programs, alcoholic beverages have been among the top three most consumed drugs in the Arab country. The National Observatory of Drugs and Addictions (ONDA) released a report stating that tobacco is the most used drug in Morocco, and closely followed by that was cannabis, alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine, heroin, solvents and other glues as well amphetamines. The report pointed out that substance abuse was more rampant in rural areas, compared to urban areas, while abuse related to alcohol and co-dependence were an urban issue.

According to reports, earlier in August, eight people died after drinking contaminated alcohol in the northern Oriental region of Morocco, and about 20 died in 2021 last year in Eastern Morocco.