What happens to the body if you drink fanfuriki? Fanfuriki of All Rus'

I caught a cold. I went to the pharmacy in the morning before work and was surprised: there were 7 people in line in front of me. And, besides me, only one young man took any drops for the child. And all the rest are fanfurics. Some took one, some took two, and one took it in bulk - as many as five bottles of Aseptolin. And among them there was not a single homeless person! All are middle-aged men, more or less neatly dressed. And it's really scary. From the characteristic smell one could guess why they came, but somehow I didn’t want to believe it. After all, you can give up on all these people. In addition to addiction to alcohol and its effect on the body, the components of fanfurics cause irreparable harm to health. But these men are all someone’s fathers, children, husbands...

Not very funny, right? People drink themselves to death with the help of pharmacies, whose purpose is to help and save them from illness.
Fanfuriki, bomics, bubbles... There are so many different names for small bottles filled with alcohol-containing liquid with completely different names, be it cosmetic lotion, “Aseptolin”, “Hawthorn” or “Pepper”. It’s good when these products are used for their intended purpose: grannies take them for rubbing and rubbing, put jars there, for disinfection during injections, etc. Well, what if everything is not quite like that?
Unfortunately, there is a category of citizens, a special category, that uses these liquids as drinks. How they drink water! This category gathers in the morning at the pharmacy of the Severny shopping center and “knocks off” passers-by for a penny. Some who are rushing to work still serve such compassionate begs, and they save a pretty penny for the “fragrant” fanfuric. Moreover, you need to collect very little - 20 rubles. So what? Small size - small price. Is it so? It seems like 20 rubles is not money at all. What if the cost is not just these pennies, but human health? Then the question arises in a completely different way.
Officially, such a potion is called an “alcohol-containing non-food product of household chemicals.” These include glass cleaners, de-icers, solvents and bathtub cleaners. On the label, legally competent manufacturers indicate “Toxic!”, “Contains denatured alcohol”, “Do not use inside!”, thereby formally fulfilling all the requirements for this type of product. They say we warned you, the rest is the buyer’s problem.
However, the combination of a low price, convenient packaging, and walking distance for the buyer is simply a veiled way of selling cheap, low-quality alcohol. A 250-gram amateur fanfuric for 20 rubles is diluted to a volume of 1.5 liters of burnt potion - it’s cheaper just for nothing. Only the most desperate housewife would dare to clean glass with such a product or add it to the bath - the heavy smell of low-quality chemicals simply causes an asthmatic cough.
It all depends on the reserve of the body itself, which has swallowed the coveted fanfuric. Methyl alcohol is a deadly poison. One teaspoon may be enough to cause poisoning. Metabolic products affect not only the liver and brain, but also the retina. And even if a person survives, after such severe poisoning he faces blindness. It’s so trivial - he took a sip in the company, and in the morning he wakes up and sees nothing. At best - vomiting, turning out all the insides. Coma and death occur as a consequence of toxic alcoholic hepatitis; with poor health, after a cycle of such drinking, victims simply do not have a liver.
According to statistics, officially registered mortality from poisoning with surrogate alcohol is 35% of all deaths. However, doctors admit that subsequently, in another 10% of cases, the death of a person who took surrogate alcohol can also be attributed to mortality from cardiovascular diseases, injuries, oncology, respiratory or digestive organs.
L.M. Egorova, the head of the Shumerlinsky drug dispensary, where most of the victims of fanfurics lie, knows her regular clients by sight - they do not change. Some, after undergoing a course of treatment, immediately return to their old habits, because everyone has long known that until a person himself wants to change something in his life, no one will force him. And some patients, unfortunately, do not want to change at all. They are satisfied with a simple and uncomplicated life, in which regular drinking bouts in the gateways sadly end in hospitalization with foam at the mouth. Afterwards - empty promises to psychologists and hospital doctors that, they say, now I’m “in the bag” forever. But as soon as such a comrade crosses the threshold of a medical institution, he immediately hurries to celebrate his return to society.
Men and women, who have long crossed the line, standing before which they once thought about shame and conscience, who have forgotten about themselves and are lost in life, sometimes whole companies wander for the next fanfuric. Do they think that all these lotions are only bringing them closer to death, or do they have a different opinion?
So, maybe the manufacturer of the poison and the one who sells it don’t know what they’re doing? You can blame anyone: the authorities, sellers and producers of these goods, and not only data. Do we have many other products that are harmful to health? I can’t help but agree with the phrase “to each his own,” because we choose our own destiny, how to live, who to be friends with, what to eat and what to drink. However, this cannot be left to chance. I would like people to think about their actions, which sometimes lead to irreversible processes. I would like teenagers who want to try everything in this life to try only the best and not make mistakes in their choice. Learn to live from other people's mistakes.
M. Ileicheva,
social work specialist of the 4th department of the RND.

“Fanfurics” not only damage the liver, but also cause epileptic seizures

Photo by Yuri Strelets
SI correspondents visited fans of ingesting lotions and tonics in the hospital

“Ten people with a diagnosis of liver cirrhosis are admitted to our hospital every month,” Natalya Silchenok, head of the gastroenterology department of Clinical Hospital No. 3, sadly shared statistics, “90% of such patients are alcoholics.

Over the past decade, this figure has increased significantly. Surprisingly, in the turbulent and difficult 90s, when everyone seemed to drink, no more than a dozen people a year were admitted to this hospital with this diagnosis.
Perhaps the problem is that today in almost every tobacco stall you can buy “fanfurik” for a ridiculous amount - 75% alcohol, a little water, and now you are already, as they say, “out of your depth” drunk. Samara Izvestia has already raised this painful issue for many families (No. 68 of April 8, 2013). This time, SI correspondents decided to visit city clinical hospital No. 3 to see with their own eyes what can happen to a person if he takes these cosmetics in large quantities every day.

Cirrhosis of the liver
“Abuse of any alcohol leads to cirrhosis of the liver. If you drink “fanfuriki” or a cheap surrogate, then be prepared for anything. You may even experience epileptic seizures,” explains the hospital’s chief physician, Anatoly Nekrasov. He knows this firsthand. After all, almost every day new patients come to his clinic complaining of pain in the right side - pale, with shaking hands and bad breath. It is not so easy to treat such citizens - the whole problem is that in most cases they do not admit that they were drunk and stooped to buy this rubbish.

Natalya Silchenok, head of the gastroenterology department, where the victims of “fanfurics” mostly lie, knows her regular clients by sight - they don’t change. Many people, after undergoing treatment, immediately return to their old habits. “And then back to us. It's kind of a vicious circle. And we doctors cannot break it,” she says. After all, they have long known that unless a person himself wants to change something in his life, no one will force him. Unfortunately, Silchenok patients most often do not want to change at all. They are satisfied with a simple and uncomplicated life, in which regular drinking bouts in the gateways sadly end in hospitalization and foam at the mouth. After empty promises in the hospital that, they say, now I’m in the bag forever, but as soon as such a comrade crosses the threshold of a medical institution, he immediately rushes to celebrate his return to society. “A few hours ago we discharged one such “passenger.” I’m sure he’s already drunk,” says the head of the department.

Typical case
Doctor Natalya Silchenok introduced us to Oleg, who is being treated here for the third time (!). Despite his past failures, he believes that now he will certainly succeed. “I definitely won’t drink again – I don’t even want to,” he promises in a trembling voice. Maybe it won't. But Oleg himself looks like a pitiful, absolutely exhausted person. His last alcoholic marathon lasted three months. 10 “fanfurics” a day did their job - he finally failed his liver and became a second group disabled person. “You know where this is all leading, you know that you are slowly killing yourself. Every time you promise yourself - that’s it, this is the last time, I’ll just get hungover and go to bed. Tomorrow I will start another life. But, as you know, if you don’t decide to quit, then all this is useless. Again you run to the familiar stall. You don’t have to eat, the main thing is to drink,” says our “hero.”

Off the top of my head, he is in his early forties. In his prime. But let's face it. With his diagnosis, he will not be able to get a job - and he is unlikely to try. “Most people drink too much because they are bored with life. They don't even work. But as soon as I stopped drinking, I started doing something around the house - I hung wallpaper,” Oleg shared his simple achievement. For such determination in the fight against himself, of course, he can and should be praised, but what will he do when his apartment runs out of walls that need to be covered? In addition, as our hero admitted, old acquaintances had already begun to visit him, with whom he collected change for cheap alcohol. While he still has the strength to refuse their dubious offers. But will he be able to remain strong tomorrow?

Natalya Silchenok is also sure that people drink out of boredom. But it’s not just men who get bored. Recently, a young woman was treated in this department, she was only 28 years old. She has two children, but the girl was deprived of parental rights. “I ask her: why are you drinking? She answers: everyone drinks, so do I,” says Silchenok. After treatment and rehabilitation, this woman’s life is unlikely to get better. Her family doesn't need her. No husband. But she was still lucky - the doctors were able to place her in a social shelter. At first she will have a place to sleep.

Afraid of death
Oleg was saved by his wife. She did not support her husband’s alcoholic hobbies and led a sober lifestyle. When her husband was admitted to the hospital, she quit her job and was in the clinic with him. “It was she who helped me not to go to the next world,” Oleg joyfully notes. And here’s the paradox: everyone drinks, but they’re afraid to die. And they often die in agony. “Most die right on the spot where the feast takes place, without ever having been to the hospital. Well, my side hurt or my heart pounded. Well, where will he go? Should I go see a doctor?” - Oleg, who buried almost all his drinking buddies, is surprised. In such companies, the death of comrades is another reason to get together and roll out. For the remembrance of the soul.

It must be said that the maintenance of such cirrhotic patients costs the state a tidy sum. Treatment of one patient costs almost eight thousand rubles for 21 days. And some, especially stubborn and fearless ones, come here more than once or even twice. Many people also receive a pension afterwards. Due to disability, which is probably drunk. So it turns out: first he drank out of boredom, then he got treatment for free, and after that he was entitled to a pension. Doctors, of course, are unhappy. And they see no way out of this situation. “Even if you stop the free sale of fanfurics, these people will still find something to drink,” says Natalya Silchenok. Oleg agrees with her approvingly and nods. And then he tells a story from his prison past: “When I was in the camp, we even used fire paint. They messed around and drank. Of course, there is no alcohol in it, but the essential oils are such a head-scratcher...”

Photo by Yuri Strelets

“Perhaps the solution is to accustom people to a healthy lifestyle from the cradle,” Natalya Silchenok began to think from afar. – It would be nice to start talking about this problem as much and as often as possible, otherwise many people don’t know. It is necessary to carry out propaganda from school that alcohol is harmful!

“And the worst thing is that fanfurics can be sold to any teenager, because this is not prohibited by law,” said Anatoly Nekrasov with indignation at parting, who is very skeptical about his alcoholic patients, but clearly worries about future generations .

Over the past week, Russia has been dealing with the consequences of mass methyl alcohol poisoning of residents of Irkutsk. As a result of consuming the alcohol-containing tincture “Hawthorn”, more than a hundred people were injured, seventy-seven of them died. Several children were left orphans. The authorities have already ordered to tighten control over the circulation of alcohol-containing products. But will these measures really help change the situation? The essence of the issue was studied by the “VS” correspondent.

The doctors were powerless

Mass poisoning with surrogate alcohol occurred in the Novo-Lenino microdistrict of Irkutsk. The first victims aged 25-50 years began to arrive at the city’s medical institutions on the evening of December 17. Later it was established that all of them had consumed an alcohol-containing liquid - the perfumed cosmetic product “Hawthorn Bath Concentrate”. The regional Ministry of Health reported that the poisoning was caused by methyl alcohol, or methanol, which was contained in the concentrate, although the packaging listed the composition as ethyl alcohol. Most of the victims no longer needed medical care; the intoxication was so strong that the doctors were simply powerless. The scale of the disaster reached such proportions that a state of emergency was introduced in the Irkutsk region, and information about poisoning with surrogate alcohol made it to the front pages not only of federal publications, but also of the foreign press.

Within a few days, seventy-five people died from the effects of poisoning. Over thirty more people remain in medical institutions today. The Investigative Department of the RF Investigative Committee for the Irkutsk Region opened a criminal case under Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Production, storage, sale of goods and products that do not meet safety requirements, resulting in the death of two or more persons through negligence.” The examinations confirmed that the cause of all deaths was methanol poisoning.

Two days later, law enforcement officers managed to detain two distributors of alcohol-containing products. During the search, more than two thousand containers of alcohol-containing tincture “Hawthorn” with a total volume of more than five hundred liters were seized from them. Soon, law enforcement officers discovered a whole workshop for bottling “Hawthorn” and four brands of vodka. Other detainees appeared - their total number increased to thirteen. The first hearings on the selection of preventive measures for detainees were held in the courts. However, of the thirteen people, only the supplier of the alcohol-containing tincture was placed in the pre-trial detention center. Another woman who was selling the tincture was released by the court for health reasons, while the remaining ten defendants were placed under house arrest. By the end of the week, the mass poisoning in Irkutsk was already discussed by almost all the world's media. The corresponding question was asked to the President of Russia at the annual press conference.

This is a terrible tragedy, there are simply no words. A terrible disgrace, since the regulatory and other authorities did not prevent the tragedy. What happened there: a number of citizens, moreover from a foreign country, organized work on the production of preparations for cleaning baths and used alcohol, which is not poison. One of the figures decided to make money - not understanding what he was doing, he extracted technical alcohol and used it, noted Vladimir Putin.

A criminal case was opened against the deputy head of the regional Rospotrebnadzor, Mikhail Luzhnov, for negligence. According to investigators, he did not take measures to verify information about the illegal sale of Hawthorn. The Investigative Committee emphasized that additional investigative actions are being carried out by the government of the Irkutsk region. Meanwhile, in Irkutsk itself, investigators seized 10 tons of methanol and six tons of windshield wiper made from it. Towards the end of the week, the Investigative Committee reported that all distribution channels for Hawthorn in the Irkutsk region had been identified and blocked.

Going to death

It should be noted that the Irkutsk region is far from the only region of our country where cases of poisoning of people with alcohol substitutes have been recorded. For example, in Mordovia this year alone, eighteen people died as a result of drinking various alcohol-containing liquids, while about forty people were injured. At the same time, as statistics show, in 2016 a decrease in such cases was recorded. In past years the situation was much worse. A similar story is observed in many other regions of Russia. After the tragedy in Irkutsk, a similar case of mass poisoning of people was recorded in the Orenburg region. There, several people drank vodka, which contained methyl alcohol. One person died. According to preliminary information, low-quality swill was delivered to our country from Kazakhstan.

Experts, commenting on what happened, almost unanimously reiterate that it would be wrong to blame only the manufacturers and suppliers of alcohol surrogates. Yes, they are to blame, because any product supplied to retail outlets must meet established quality requirements. But it is important to understand: the alcohol-containing tincture “Hawthorn” was not originally intended for oral use in the quantities in which the deceased consumed it. As well as liquid for cleaning car windows in winter, cases of poisoning of which also abound. However, due to their cheapness, these drinks, so to speak, have become so popular in recent years among low-income but heavy-drinking segments of the population that it becomes simply scary.

Experts cite the high level of alcoholization of the population in our country and the virtual absence of a system of assistance to people suffering from alcohol addiction as the root cause of the Irkutsk tragedy. The fact is that the services of paid clinics are not available to people who drink antifreeze, Hawthorn and other alcohol-containing liquids as alcohol. And in state medical institutions, the corresponding services are mostly a mere formality. So, it is this problem that needs to be solved first, without forgetting to control the quality of products in pharmacies and other retail outlets selling alcohol-containing products.

After the tragedy in Irkutsk, corresponding events were held almost throughout the country. For example, in Mordovia, in just one day, law enforcement officers seized from circulation more than four thousand bottles of alcohol-containing products for household and medicinal purposes. The lion's share of the seizures occurs in the regional capital. According to the press service of the republican Ministry of Internal Affairs, all this “good” was sent to the forensic center for conducting relevant research. Just in case, the law enforcement agency asks citizens to refrain from purchasing these products and to promptly inform the authorities about the facts of the sale of alcohol-containing liquids. However, experts rightly fear that these were just one-time actions, and after a while everything will return to normal. It must be admitted that these fears are by no means unfounded. Alas, the state machine in most such cases reacts only after the fact. There is no need to talk about systemic control over the circulation of alcohol-containing products yet.

Valocordin will become more expensive

This is exactly what Russian Minister of Health Veronika Skvortsova said when commenting on the mass poisoning in Irkutsk. According to her, several thousand liters of technical alcohol were brought to Irkutsk under the guise of “Boyaryshnik” cosmetic products.

The absence of any regulations on industrial alcohol in the country and the lack of examination of liquids that contain this or that alcohol led to the tragedy. Now the Alcohol Regulation Commission is working on this,” said Veronika Skvortsova.

But it is, alas, impossible to say that even after the mass poisoning in Irkutsk the situation in the sphere of control over the circulation of alcohol-containing products in Russia will change radically. If only because the proposed measures are, to put it mildly, ambiguous. The authorities, for example, propose to sell alcohol-containing tinctures, including Valocordin, so popular among pensioners, exclusively in pharmacies and only with a doctor’s prescription. To be honest, it's not a good idea. Especially considering that from 2017 it is planned to increase excise taxes on alcohol products. In simple terms, more or less high-quality alcohol will become even more inaccessible to those suffering than it is now. But they still won’t stop drinking. Statistics show that the majority of those poisoned by alcohol substitutes subsequently use them or analogues again. If “Hawthorn” is sold according to prescriptions, drinkers will push for antifreeze and start using antifreeze. So what, these liquids should also be sold according to prescriptions? And with the recipes themselves, not everything is so simple. Who will guarantee that doctors will not start selling them trivially?

Obviously, in order to find a solution to the problem, the authorities will have to seriously rack their brains. In the meantime, by order of the country's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the sale of Hawthorn in Russia has been suspended for one month. In addition, amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offenses regarding the illegal trade in alcohol-containing products have already been prepared. The necessary changes will also be made to the federal law “On Alcohol Trafficking” and the Tax Code. However, unfortunately, there is no confidence that regular consumers of “Hawthorn” will even know about this.

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“Fanfuriki” is a harmless word that people have dubbed bottles of alcohol-containing perfume and cosmetic liquids. Tinctures of oak and hawthorn, tonics with red pepper extract and other “drinks” of this kind, which are sold in 100 ml containers. Officially, they are intended to “stimulate hair growth” and therefore are sold in almost any stall and at any time. It would seem that there is nothing wrong with this, if not for the threatening data from medical institutions. Today, doctors unanimously say: fanfuriki is one of the main reasons for the increase in deaths among alcohol-dependent citizens.

From a legal point of view, so-called “dual-use liquids” are not alcoholic products, despite their 75% alcohol content. For this reason, deputies of the Samara Gubernia Duma have been seeking a ban on the production and sale of “fanfurics” for more than three years. On April 22, 2014, the people's representatives again came up with a corresponding initiative. One of those who today is seeking to cancel the sale of dubious lotions is Nikolai Renz, Chairman of the Committee on Health, Demography and Social Policy of the Samara Provincial Duma, head physician of the Tolyatti Clinical Hospital No. 5. According to him, “fanfuriki” diluted with water have no less effect on the human body than ordinary vodka. Their abuse leads to liver diseases (up to cirrhosis) and brain, decreased ability to conceive a healthy child and many other diseases. But the main “advantage” of 100-gram tonics over legal alcoholic drinks is accessibility. While vodka prices are rising, fanfuriki can still be bought for 20 rubles each at a tobacco kiosk. That's why they are steadily gaining popularity among the drinking population. Last year, Samara Izvestia found out that one retail stall sells on average about 400 of these tinctures per day. Unfortunately, nothing has changed significantly over the year.

“I saw with my own eyes deposits of empty “fanfuriks” under the balconies of student dormitories,” says Deputy of the Samara Provincial Duma Alexander Drobotov. - These mountains reach such large sizes that they need to be raked with a shovel. Imagine how many people poured this into themselves, and what the consequences were! Aggressive intoxication bordering on psychosis, severe headaches and poisoning during a hangover are the most harmless things that happen after consuming them. And the result is death. After all, these liquids are not intended for internal consumption. They don't kill right away, but the statistics don't lie, and the numbers are terrible. Our voters are being poisoned with low-quality technical alcohol in front of their families.

“Fanfurics are purchased not only by old drinkers who have sunk to the very bottom, but also by young people,” adds the deputy. - And the alarmingly low price of such bubbles is to blame. An alcoholic is a sick person with a suppressed will. When he wants to drink, he doesn't care about the consequences. Unable to resist the temptation, he goes to the kiosk and buys this poison, believing that it is no different from vodka. There is no question of any consciousness in this case. Lotion lovers are people who are dependent on them. Therefore, the only way to protect certain sections of the population from premature death is to ban the sale of such products. “Fanfuriki” is obviously evil. And this was supported by the entire deputy corps of the Provincial Duma. We don’t see lobbyists on the other side (as happens in the case of vodka or beer). They simply cannot exist.

Important

Specialists at drug treatment centers warn: if one of your loved ones is heavily intoxicated under the influence of alcohol-containing tinctures and tonics, and even more so on a long-term binge, do not try to bring him out of this state on your own. Qualified medical care can only be provided by employees of clinics, hospitals, and drug treatment clinics. During hangover hours (especially after ingesting hair care liquids and other substances not intended for drinking), the human body is close to death. There are often cases where failure to receive timely help during a hangover and alcohol withdrawal syndrome has led to death. Thus, to avoid a possible tragedy, contact a nearby clinic or call an ambulance.

Roman ARSENIN

People dubbed bottles of alcohol-containing perfume and cosmetic liquids with this harmless word. Tinctures of oak and hawthorn, tonics with red pepper extract and other similar “drinks” are sold in 100 ml containers. Officially, they are intended for medicinal purposes - for example, to “stimulate hair growth”, and therefore are available for sale in many retail outlets and at any time. It would seem that there is nothing wrong with this, if not for the threatening data from medical institutions. Today, doctors unanimously say: fanfuriki is one of the main reasons for the increase in mortality among alcohol-dependent citizens. From a legal point of view, so-called “dual-use liquids” are not alcoholic products, despite their 75 percent alcohol content. For this reason, deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the Penza Region are persistently seeking a ban on the production and sale of “fanfurics”. The initiative of the people’s representatives is actively supported by civil society and also advocates the abolition of the sale of questionable liquids. The experience of our “guardians” who suffer from alcohol addiction testifies that “fanfuriki” diluted with water have no less effect on the human body than ordinary vodka. But their abuse leads to obvious health disorders: diseases of the liver (up to cirrhosis) and brain, decreased ability to conceive a healthy child and many other diseases. And the main “advantage” of 100-gram tonics over legal alcoholic drinks is accessibility. While prices for vodka are rising, “fanfuriki” can still be bought for 18-20 rubles per bottle and even at a tobacco kiosk. That's why they are steadily gaining popularity among the drinking population. We often encounter deposits of empty “fanfuriks” on the streets - under the fences of residential buildings and in ravines. Sometimes mountains of specific glass containers reach such impressive sizes that they need to be raked with a shovel. Imagine how many people have poured dangerous liquid into themselves and what are the consequences of this dubious pleasure! Aggressive intoxication bordering on psychosis, severe headaches and poisoning during a hangover are the most harmless things that happen after using them. The main result is loss of ability to work and death. After all, these liquids are not intended for internal consumption. They don’t kill right away, and Russian statistics are horrifying. Quite a few people were poisoned by low-quality industrial alcohol in front of their families and in our area, in particular, in Neverkino, Staraya Andreevka, Berezovka, Plan. ..Unfortunately, “fanfurics” are purchased not only by old drinkers who have sunk to the very bottom, but also by young people. And the alarmingly low price of such bubbles is to blame. An alcoholic is a sick person with a suppressed will. When he wants to drink, he doesn't care about the consequences. Unable to resist the temptation, he goes to the store and buys this poison, believing that it is no different from vodka. Lotion lovers are trapped in a harmful addiction. Therefore, the only way to protect certain sections of the population from premature death is to not allow the sale of such products under any circumstances.

Specialists at drug treatment centers warn: if one of your loved ones is heavily intoxicated under the influence of alcohol-containing tinctures and tonics, and even more so on a long-term binge, do not try to bring him out of this state on your own. Qualified medical care can only be provided by medical specialists. During hangover hours (especially after ingesting substances not intended for drinking), the human body is close to death. There are often cases where failure to receive timely help during a hangover and alcohol withdrawal syndrome has led to death. To avoid a possible tragedy, immediately contact your rural FAP or call an ambulance.