The emergency began June 13, when 13 people died and 60 others were admitted to hospitals after drinking a locally made alcohol that doctors suspect was laced with methanol, a highly poisonous industrial alcohol.

Small quantities of the chemical -- used in anti-freeze or dyes -- can kill, blind and cause serious damage to the liver and kidneys.

The production and consumption of alcohol has been banned in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Nevertheless, the making of potent home brews and the illegal import of beverages is common.

The Japan Times Weekly: June 19, 2004
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