Public Health Minister Daniel Rivera said in the Ministry of Public Health press conference yesterday that the number of deaths due to adulterated alcohol are declining. He attributed this to an increased awareness in the population, people seeking early medical attention and government efforts to close down shops where the clandestine beverages are sold and manufacturing operations.
He said the deaths so far this year are 99 persons, primarily in Greater Santo Domingo. 262 persons were reported as intoxicated. The low-cost clandestine beverages are laced with methanol and disguised with coloring and flavoring.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism called for hotels and the tourism industry, in general, to be vigilant against adulterated alcoholic beverages. He said there has not yet been a case affecting the hotels. Rafael Blanco Tejera, president of the National Hotel & Tourism Association (Asonahores) said that the hotel sector has adopted all the necessary measures to guarantee the health and welfare of visitors to Dominican destinations around the country. The director of the Police, General Edward Sanchez, said there is no case yet of the sale or consumption of adulterated alcohol in a hotel.
To play it safe, the Ministry of Tourism issued a resolution that bans ambulatory alcohol vendors from operating in Dominican beaches. The Ministry of Tourism also temporarily banned that alcoholic beverages be served during tourist excursions. The Ministry of Tourism said that the Ministry of Defense would be sending out inspectors to tourism destinations to check for the sale of clandestine liquor.
Another measure that was adopted is that importers of methanol agree to add to the liquid a bitter taste so that it cannot be used for the manufacturing of alcoholic beverages.
The director of the Tax Agency (DGII) Luis Valdez says that of 135 companies authorized to manufacture alcoholic beverages, only 22 are up to date in the payment of their taxes.
The past president of the Association of Herrera Industries, Cesar Nicolas Penson says that the authorities need to hone the controls and investigations on the manufacturing and sale of adulterated alcoholic beverages. He says the existence of these on the market is only possible because of public-private complicities.
The director of the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) says an inventory of all the methanol that has entered the country from 2020 has been carried out and an inventory of all the exporters and importers. The list has been sent to the Attorney General Office for the investigations that are carried out.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
Listin Diario
Ministry of Tourism
Hoy
Listin Diario
Presidency
22 April 2021