Similar To The Case In Indonesia, 22 People In Turkey Died After Drinking Oplosan

JAKARTA - Mixed liquor is often a disaster in Indonesia. Several deaths occurred due to drinking alcohol mixed carelessly. Apparently, a similar incident also occurred in Turkey.

At least 22 people have died and 16 others are in critical condition after drinking mixed alcohol in Istanbul, the local governor's office said on Friday, December 17. In that incident four people were arrested, he said.

Turkish authorities have recently been aggressively cracking down on adulterated alcoholic beverages ahead of New Year's celebrations, by launching a nationwide operation targeting sellers and distributors.

The governor's office said in a statement that 11 of the dead were foreign nationals and five of them were hospitalized. According to him, 46 people were taken to the hospital due to alcohol poisoning.

Quoted from ANTARA, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan imposed a high tax on alcohol. Taxes on Turkey's popular raki drink, which is often topped with aniseed, have skyrocketed over the past decade.

Prices of alcoholic beverages in markets, restaurants and bars have risen in recent months due to high taxes and inflation.

Economists argue that high taxes on alcohol will encourage people to consume counterfeit products or make their own drinks at home. This condition can increase the state's health budget as well as preventable deaths.