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A deadly alcohol in Haiti. Since last February, Haiti's General Hospital has registered 21 deaths out of 32 patients who were admitted with cases alcohol poisoning by consuming popular locally made spirit 'Moonshine' ('clairin' or 'kleren' in Creole). The victims drank this distilled sugarcane liquor containing poisonous methanol. The presence of methanol you can never see, smell or feel, but small amounts can make you very ill or even kill you. Some of the symptoms of methanol poisoning are severe headache, stomach ache, vomiting, and loss of vision. The number of victims could have been less had prior alerts been issued after the earlier reports of poisoning. However, some of the drinkers found the spurious drink stinging, much bitter than normal as if the merchant had added cure-all-medicinal herb Asorosi or cerasee in the liquor, ruining its strength and aromatic flavor.

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