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Ancient Aliens from Tennessee Health Officials: Ethanol and methanol *are not* t

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M

Malyse

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Health officials are in a panic in Tennessee after two teens were killed after drinking a deadly cocktail known as Dewshine. According to Tennessee Poison Center Medical Director Donna Seger, teenagers in Robertson County drank methanol, which is an industrial substitute for ethanol and used in racing fuel. Ethanol is the compound found in alcoholic drinks, while methanol is poison. Seger says the teenagers were unaware that the drinks were lethal, and the poisonings were accidents. No other cases have been reported outside of Tennessee.

Here’s what you need to know about this deadly drink:

1. The Drink Is a Mixture of Racing Fuel & Mountain Dew

Tennessee Poison Center Medical Director Donna Seger told the Tennessean that the deceased teenagers “thought they knew what it was, that it was a substitute for alcohol. They thought they would get the same effects as alcohol, but they weren’t aware of how toxic it was.”

Racing fuel, which is used in the cocktail, is essentially 100 percent methanol. It’s used on cars and in industrially. In her interview with the Tennessean, Seger said that methanol initially gives off the same effects as ethanol but eventually users succumb to seizures, blindness, nausea and diarrhea to name but symptoms.

2. Tennessee’s Poison Center Director Doesn’t Know How Prevalent Dewshine Is Among Teens

Seger and her department are working hard to establish how much of a trend Dewshine is among teens in Tennessee, reports the Tennessean. “These two deaths have brought it to our attention. We have to try to make sure that adolescents are aware of the toxicity. Kids usually communicate more among themselves, and we need to make more kids aware of this, statewide.”

On the National Institute of Health website, two to eight ounces can be fatal for an adult while a child can be killed by two tablespoons. The national Department of Health have been notified about Dewshine.

3. A Go Fund Me Page Has Been Set Up to Help the Family of Logan Stephenson

One of the deceased teenagers in Robertson County has been named as 16-year-old Logan Stephenson. A Go Fund Me page was set up to raise money for a drug and alcohol program at Stephenson’s high school. At the time of writing, over $2,000 has been raised of a $10,000 goal. He was found dead on January 21, reports WGRZ. Within minutes of Stephenson being found, authorities were called to the home of his best friend close by. There, Stephenson’s friend, who has not been named, also died.

After Stephenson’s death, two other teens came forward to say they had become sick from drinking Dewshine. Logan Stephenson’s funeral was held on the January 25, reports News Channel 5. The station adds that in Tennessee, racing fuel retails for $7.50 a gallon.

4. In March Mountain Dew Rolled Out Its Own Version of ‘Dewshine,’ With Critics Saying the Soft Drink Was Posing as Booze

In March 2015, Mountain Dew rolled out its own non-alcoholic retail Dewshine drink. A review on the new drink by The Consumerist noted, “Dewshine from Mountain Dew looks like booze, but isn’t.”

5. In 2012, There Was a Spate of Deaths in Europe When People Drank Methanol

At least 14 people died and more than 20 were hospitalized in the Czech Republic [in 2012] after drinking spirits apparently tainted with methanol, Czech officials said. “The last figure I’ve heard was 14, but the numbers… must be taken with caution as it takes two or three days to confirm the cause of death by autopsy,” Health Minister Leos Heger told reporters.
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http://heavy.com/news/2016/01/dewsh...ink-how-to-make-methanol-poisoning-tennessee/

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U

ugaboga232

Member
Fun fact ethanol is an antidote to methanol and other small chain alcohol poisonings (there are a few better ones I think but ethanol is cheap and used stillI think).
 
Arkos

Arkos

Nose how to spell and rede to
ugaboga232 said:
Fun fact ethanol is an antidote to methanol and other small chain alcohol poisonings (there are a few better ones I think but ethanol is cheap and used stillI think).
Click to expand...

So if I drink too much fake alcohol I just have to drink some real alcohol? Nice.
 
M

Malyse

Member
ugaboga232 said:
Fun fact ethanol is an antidote to methanol and other small chain alcohol poisonings (there are a few better ones I think but ethanol is cheap and used stillI think).
Click to expand...

I'm aware of this from a rather tense experience.

----

So. PSA is auto changed to Ancient Aliens?
 
G

Gentleman Jack

Member
ModBot looks for 'PSA' in thread titles and if I recall correctly just zaps it most of the time. Sometimes you get hilarious substitutions instead, like 'DIARRHEA' or 'FEEL THE BERN'
 
U

ugaboga232

Member
Arkos said:
So if I drink too much fake alcohol I just have to drink some real alcohol? Nice.
Click to expand...

Essentially... But depending on your kidneys and liver status + genetics + how much and what type of poisonous fake alcohol/antifreeze/rubbing alcohol you drank, you may have to have a lot of ethanol over a long period. Or just go to hospital
 
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CloudyTuba

Member
Ancient aliens from Tennessee haha

geomon said:
Why is PSA removed?
Click to expand...

Because OffTopic started being overrun with PSA's about every damn thing in the universe, it became an overused thread title. PSA: Star Wars is Cool Guys.

So now Modbot encourages better thread titles by embarrassing users.
 
D

Dryk

Member
Arkos said:
So if I drink too much fake alcohol I just have to drink some real alcohol? Nice.
Click to expand...
The process that the human body uses to metabolise ethanol converts methanol into formic acid. Ethanol preferentially binds to the relevant enzyme which can buy your kidneys enough time to filter out the methanol before it kills you.
 
M

Malyse

Member
SillyNonsense said:
Ancient aliens from Tennessee haha



Because OffTopic started being overrun with PSA's about every damn thing in the universe, it became an overused thread title. So now Modbot encourages better thread titles by embarrassing users.
Click to expand...

Pity cause it ruins the snark.
 
Arkos

Arkos

Nose how to spell and rede to
Dryk said:
The process that the human body uses to metabolise ethanol converts methanol into formic acid. Ethanol preferentially binds to the relevant enzyme which can buy your kidneys enough time to filter out the methanol before it kills you.
Click to expand...

Ah I see so it just cock blocks the methanol, right? Still, interesting.
 
U

ugaboga232

Member
Arkos said:
Ah I see so it just cock blocks the methanol, right? Still, interesting.
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That's actually a very accurate view, its a competitive inhibitor (as opposed to noncompetitive and uncompetitive which are so horrifically named i always confuse them) so all it does is compete for binding (and its a better cock block than methanol).

Similar process happens with antifreeze
 
J

Johndoey

Banned
It's worth mentioning drinking straight 95% ethanol is also something you really shouldn't do But for gods sake do a google search people make sure shit you put in you is safe-ish for consumption.
 
A

ag-my001

Member
Tesseract said:
do they not teach chemistry in middle school?
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Usually it's physical science, and discussing the metabolism would be a bit high level. It's more likely to be discussed in a history class, as methanol was a substitute during prohibition for those desperate (and ignorant) enough to risk it.
 
U

ugaboga232

Member
Johndoey said:
It's worth mentioning drinking straight 95% ethanol is also something you really shouldn't do But for gods sake do a google search people make sure shit you put in you is safe-ish for consumption.
Click to expand...

Everclear has a warning not to drink it straight up as it will burn your throat (ethanol causes cancer of everything it touches eventually).
 
W

Wilsongt

Member
This is why you should pay attention in high school chemistry.

Also, Darwin Award.

ugaboga232 said:
That's actually a very accurate view, its a competitive inhibitor (as opposed to noncompetitive and uncompetitive which are so horrifically named i always confuse them) so all it does is compete for binding (and its a better cock block than methanol).

Similar process happens with antifreeze
Click to expand...

Shit gets confusing, especially in immunoprecips.
 
C

commedieu

Banned
I lost track with the kids when I heard about pill parties. Where everyone brings random pills and puts them in a bucket.
 
U

ugaboga232

Member
Wilsongt said:
This is why you should pay attention in high school chemistry.

Also, Darwin Award.



Shit gets confusing, especially in immunoprecips.
Click to expand...

They should really just name it based on what it binds, the enzyme, the substrate, or the enzyme-substrate complex. But no, logic is too much in naming schemes
 
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