More Thais Die Of Alcohol Poisoning Than Cold.

[Lite Beer]

More Thais die of alcohol poisoning than coldness

BANGKOK, 6 January 2011 (NNT) - The Public Health Ministry has reported that 28 out of 30 people initially presumed dead from winter coldness actually died of alcohol poisoning.

According to Deputy Public Health Minister Dr Phansiri Kullanartsiri, since winter began on 5 November 2010 until 29 January 2011, 30 people were reported dead from winter related causes.

The Bureau of Epidemiology under the Department of Disease Control stated that 28 out of these 30 dead were caused by alcohol poisoning because they were not in the winter disaster zones nor wearing warm clothes. Therefore Dr Phansiri concluded the number of people who died from winter this year so far was only two.

She said 85 percent of those who died of alcohol were male, and 63 percent were alcoholics or drinking just before they died. She added more than half of them had congenital diseases such as heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, and epilepsy.

The Deputy Minister advised people in winter disaster zones to wear warm clothes, refrain from alcoholic beverages because alcohol could not protect them from coldness.

-- NNT 2011-02-06

[isanbirder]

Thoroughly misleading heading! All it says is that, out of 30 people thought to have died of cold, 28 actually died of alcohol poisoning. Does anybody know how many Thais a year really die of alcohol poisoning?

[HeavyDrinker]

It doesn't surprise me one bit.

The way Thais drink is the problem They cane the spirits way too fast.

I'm always telling friends to have a few slow beers first and let the system take it in slowly but it's always BANG BANG with them.

Now wonder when I drink with Thai friends I'm usually drinking alone by 9pm...it's either that or my terrible wind.

[TAWP]

Thoroughly misleading heading! All it says is that, out of 30 people thought to have died of cold, 28 actually died of alcohol poisoning. Does anybody know how many Thais a year really die of alcohol poisoning?

It isn't wrong. The article clearly says that 2 died from cold, 28 presumed dead from cold was dead from alcohol...and we also know that hundreds others die from alcohol each year...but even if it was 0 (zero) the article already have the count at 2 vs 28 - a result supporting the headline.

[timekeeper]

no surprises there then

i think Thai whisky would be better suited as fuel than as an alcoholic beverage........

[Bengt]

I know that many more people have to pay with their lifes not only by alcohol poisoning, there are several more cases that can be related to infulence by alcohol eg. Traffic accidents and much more.

[jimbeam1]

28 deaths out of 30, thought to be caused by cold, were in fact alcohol poisoning. Take away the cold factor. I would like to see their statistics for deaths by alcohol poisoning for the year. It must run into hundreds of thousands?

I personally don't think it is so much Thai Whiskey, as the Lao Kaao they drink, pure fire water.

jb1

[tomyummer]

Interesting. New Thai heating technique. Human heat logs. Like kerosene lamps but probably burns longer.

Here honey, drink up. Winter's coming.

[Credo]

It's difficult to believe anything they say because they say whatever they want. I wonder if these 28 actually died of alcohol poisoning or other causes, complicated by alcohol use. It takes a lot of alcohol in a short period of time to cause death from alcohol poisoning. 28 is a high number.

[Spalpeen]

Maybe if they were to mix some antifreeze into Thai Whiskey they could reduce the number of deaths caused by cold to zero.

[transam]

Maybe if they were to mix some antifreeze into Thai Whiskey they could reduce the number of deaths caused by cold to zero.

I thought Lao Kaa was antifreeze, Smells like it.

[RKASA]

Ira Hayes

[Bagwan]

Doesn't alcohol increase susceptibility to cold? I've just come back from Lomsak and the family were wrapped up while I'm running around wearing only a pair of skivvies. Wouldn't the fact that Thai bodies cannot compensate for low temperatures suggest genetic bodily malfunction?

[inmysights]

28 deaths out of 30, thought to be caused by cold, were in fact alcohol poisoning. Take away the cold factor. I would like to see their statistics for deaths by alcohol poisoning for the year. It must run into hundreds of thousands?

I personally don't think it is so much Thai Whiskey, as the Lao Kaao they drink, pure fire water.

jb1

Why are there NO 'government' statistics on deaths resulting from the toxic laokhao? Or are there? First thing asked when taking someone to a hospital here is, 'does he drink laokhao?'. Everyone I know here is at some funeral every other day of the week due to alcohol related deaths - and this is only Phuket!) Why do you never see Thai tv government education programs on this? Is it because it is the 'beverage' of no choice of the poor Thai?

The bloody Thai Government with their tobacco manopolies (I once had a Thai friend ask 'Why they say must not smoke when they, the government produce it?') Don't give a shit. Same the West, but at least there they give INFORMATION which you can take or leave. And given the Thai predeliction for listenin' to de 'higher ups' (hah!) should have equal, if not more response.

Thainess. <deleted>!!!

[londonthai]

"63 percent were alcoholics or drinking just before they died. She added more than half of them had congenital diseases such as heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, and epilepsy."

I would think many thai die everyday from alcohol poisoning, but those in the statistics above did not - only less than 63% were intocsicated. The majority were chronically ill.

shame, that a government official, medical practitioner, tries to bend facts to suit political agenda and has disrespect to human life and misery.

[Tokay]

Would like to see a stat on how many die of cirrhosis of the liver.

[pedro01]

Am I the only one that noticed that Thailand is a tropical country, not too far from the equator and hot most of the time?

Other news

- more Thais die of Alcohol poisoning than those that die in ski-ing accidents

- ice fishing banned in Thailand

- boomakers offering 100-1 odds on Thailand having a white Christmas this year

[Skywalker69]

Thoroughly misleading heading! All it says is that, out of 30 people thought to have died of cold, 28 actually died of alcohol poisoning. Does anybody know how many Thais a year really die of alcohol poisoning?

Including drunk driving?

[Skywalker69]

no surprises there then

i think Thai whisky would be better suited as fuel than as an alcoholic beverage........

Your right, even the smell of Lao Kao can kill you!

[saraburioz]

Would like to see a stat on how many die of cirrhosis of the liver.

thailand has the highest rate of liver disease in the world

http://www.news.kku.ac.th/eng/news/content/view/231/1/

[andrew55]

It's difficult to believe anything they say because they say whatever they want. I wonder if these 28 actually died of alcohol poisoning or other causes, complicated by alcohol use. It takes a lot of alcohol in a short period of time to cause death from alcohol poisoning. 28 is a high number.

Yeh, bit of a BS article. Very Thailized. Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.

Death by genuine 'alcohol poisoning' possible but unlikey.

Doubt these findings would hold up to scientific scrutiny.

Alcohol related. Safe bet. The rice whisky is consumed so fast that by the time one is seriously smashed 5 more have been drunk and their effect is yet to kick in. The 50baht plastic bags of AvGas are indeed evil. Home-made with no controls or standards. I guess no worse than our home countries' hard drugs(also home-made often). Just very affordable and accessible.

Two men walking home from a binge in the wee hours. Too much moonshine. Tired. Lie down on the road and sleep well. To incredulous looks from my neighbours I declined the offer to view the result next morning(they only wanted me to drive 'em in the pickup). Appears that tire squished top half of both heads - left bottom half in tact... maybe a little journalese as reported back to me that night while the tellers are getting shit-faced again. By this time the locals have visited a 'special' monk at the local Wat with a pigs head or 2 and learned that in truth a ghost was responsible and that it wasn't the drink after all. At least the booze allowed them die peacefully in their sleep. Lets throw don another bag in memory of the departed while their spirits(no pun intended) are still about. Think I need to up the meds again.

This is not a statistic. These men were real. Tragic for their real sons who are friends with my boys and visit the farang often. Real wives, real siblings, real aged parents needing support, real rice that needs to be tended. REAL responsibilities.

Wifes older sister staggers 190 of the 200 metres home after the regular dose. 10 metres from her house decides to lie down and sleep where she stands(crawls?). Someone wanders over at the crack of 1.00pm. The sun had risen in the morning. She slept on in the full sun. Dehydration is a killer. Well I stupidly thought dehydration. Wrong. Ghost again. Sometimes I fail to see the obvious. lucky to have wise counsel amongst my peers in the soi to help me see the way of the truth.

Again not 'alcohol poisoning'.

Again not a statistic.

[lensta]

Am I the only one that noticed that Thailand is a tropical country, not too far from the equator and hot most of the time?

Other news

- more Thais die of Alcohol poisoning than those that die in ski-ing accidents

- ice fishing banned in Thailand

- boomakers offering 100-1 odds on Thailand having a white Christmas this year

Ahh Pedro01 You beat me to it. I was thinking along the lines of

More Thais die of alcohol poisoning than those that die of polar bear attacks.

-avalanches

-over work

-stress

Perhaps other members have some ideas on what the headline could have read??

[andrew55]

Am I the only one that noticed that Thailand is a tropical country, not too far from the equator and hot most of the time?

Other news

- more Thais die of Alcohol poisoning than those that die in ski-ing accidents

- ice fishing banned in Thailand

- boomakers offering 100-1 odds on Thailand having a white Christmas this year

Ahh Pedro01 You beat me to it. I was thinking along the lines of

More Thais die of alcohol poisoning than those that die of polar bear attacks.

-avalanches

-over work

-stress

Perhaps other members have some ideas on what the headline could have read??

Headline - "2 out of 30 deceased Thai deaths appear not to have been alcohol related"

Glass 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? Engineer would say it was made too big in the first damned place!!

It's how you look at it.

Edited February 7, 2011 by andrew55

[elshaheen]

Maybe if they were to mix some antifreeze into Thai Whiskey they could reduce the number of deaths caused by cold to zero.

No, I've seen the end results of that before. In a small town in Southern Oregon called Grants Pass. There was once a man who used to drink a lot. One day about 20 years ago, he decided to drink Anit-Freeze. People now call him Fingers. Why, because he stands along the roadside each day, counting his fingers. People say, when you go up to him and talk to him. His mind is so far gone, he's only able to hold a very short understandable conversation, then slips back to counting his fingers again.

[SlyAnimal]

Am I misreading the article? Or am I simply the only one thus far to notice:

28 / 30 deaths alcohol related

63% of people who died were alcoholics or drinking before they died (or is it 63% of the 85% males who died?)

Either way.....

What's 63% of 30.....

It's not 28.....

lol

[londonthai]

-over work

-stress

I would think as many as of alcohol poisoning.

death from overwork was only recognised as a medical condition in japan, some 20 years ago. Humans are not robots and do need time to rest.

stress is recognised now as a main cause of serious medical conditions (high blood pressure, heart conditions, cancer, astma, irritable bowel syndrome and many others, including alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illnesses leading sometimes to suicide)

[warfie]

Doesn't alcohol increase susceptibility to cold? I've just come back from Lomsak and the family were wrapped up while I'm running around wearing only a pair of skivvies. Wouldn't the fact that Thai bodies cannot compensate for low temperatures suggest genetic bodily malfunction?

You are quite right, alcohol makes you feel warm, because it depresses the bodies natural reaction to cold, which is to slow the flow of blood to the extremities and preserve the core temperature.

Drink and you feel warmer while losing more body heat.

[sirchai]

Doesn't alcohol increase susceptibility to cold? I've just come back from Lomsak and the family were wrapped up while I'm running around wearing only a pair of skivvies. Wouldn't the fact that Thai bodies cannot compensate for low temperatures suggest genetic bodily malfunction?

She said 85 percent of those who died of alcohol were male, and 63 percent were alcoholics or drinking just before they died. She added more than half of them had congenital diseases such as heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, and epilepsy.

She said.......lol. Most people were drinking before they died.

Guess she forgot to mention the liver cirrhosis..........:jap:

[sirchai]

Am I misreading the article? Or am I simply the only one thus far to notice:

28 / 30 deaths alcohol related

63% of people who died were alcoholics or drinking before they died (or is it 63% of the 85% males who died?)

Either way.....

What's 63% of 30.....

It's not 28.....

lol

Well...let me guess.....aeehhh it's about the addiction of malfunctioning people. You've got to divide 63 by 30 add some unknown, called z and x and you'll see that more people dying through traffic accidents... :jap:

[sirchai]

Doesn't alcohol increase susceptibility to cold? I've just come back from Lomsak and the family were wrapped up while I'm running around wearing only a pair of skivvies. Wouldn't the fact that Thai bodies cannot compensate for low temperatures suggest genetic bodily malfunction?

You are quite right, alcohol makes you feel warm, because it depresses the bodies natural reaction to cold, which is to slow the flow of blood to the extremities and preserve the core temperature.

Drink and you feel warmer while losing more body heat.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences. It's always good to learn through other people's mistakes...:jap: