Marrakech – A new Moroccan study has documented 848 confirmed cases of methanol poisoning in Morocco between 1981 and 2024, including 110 deaths, bringing renewed attention to the deadly risks and persistent dangers associated with adulterated and informally distributed alcohol.
Published in the September 2026 issue of Toxicologie Analytique et Clinique, the study found an overall case-fatality rate of 13%, with outbreaks occasionally producing far higher death rates.
The research, titled “Methanol poisoning in Morocco (1981–2024): Burden, outbreaks and risk management,” was conducted by researchers affiliated with Morocco’s Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Center (CAPM) and the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at Mohammed V University in Rabat.
Researchers analyzed confirmed cases recorded in CAPM’s national toxicovigilance registry over 44 years, examining patients’ demographic profiles, exposure circumstances, substances involved, and clinical outcomes.
Adulterated alcohol behind most cases
Adulterated alcohol accounted for 45% of the products implicated in recorded poisonings, while methylated spirits represented another 42%.
Brandy was linked to 8% of cases, with unidentified methanol-containing products accounting for the remaining 5%.
Together, adulterated alcohol and methylated spirits were associated with 87% of the documented cases.
The researchers identified 11 collective poisoning outbreaks, with fatality rates ranging from 6% to 100%. Most victims were men between the ages of 20 and 45.
The study also reported serious eye complications, including cases of blindness.
Methanol is highly toxic when ingested. The human body metabolizes it into formic acid, which can cause severe metabolic acidosis, organ failure, damage to the optic nerve, and irreversible loss of vision. Even relatively small quantities can lead to severe poisoning or death.
Mahia, a traditional Moroccan distilled spirit often made from figs or dates, illustrates how methanol poisoning can occur when production is poorly controlled.
Safe fermentation produces drinkable ethanol, while small amounts of methanol can also form naturally, especially from fruit pectin. Improper distillation, failure to separate early fractions, or deliberate adulteration can dangerously raise methanol levels.
2024 marked the highest recorded peak
The data showed two particularly pronounced spikes in poisoning cases: 88 cases in 1997 and 201 cases in 2024, making 2024 the highest annual total recorded during the 44-year study period.
The 2024 figures coincided with several serious poisoning incidents, including the mass poisoning reported in Sidi Allal Tazi in Kenitra province in June 2024.
Health authorities initially reported 114 poisoning cases and eight deaths linked to the incident. The death toll later rose to 16, while prosecutors said victims had consumed a toxic alcoholic substance identified as methanol.
The study’s 201 cases for 2024, however, represent all confirmed cases entered into CAPM’s national registry that year and are not limited to the Sidi Allal Tazi outbreak.
Researchers call for tighter controls
The authors urged stronger regulatory oversight of industrial and artisanal alcohol production and distribution, alongside more targeted public-awareness campaigns.
They also called for better access to specific antidotes, including fomepizole and ethanol, as well as extracorporeal treatments such as hemodialysis for severe cases.
Standardized treatment protocols and improved preparedness were also among the recommendations.
The researchers cautioned that the 848 cases and 110 deaths represent confirmed incidents recorded by CAPM, meaning the figures do not necessarily capture every methanol poisoning that occurred in Morocco during the 44-year period.
Still, the study represents the first comprehensive long-term analysis of national CAPM data on methanol poisoning, stressing both the recurrence of mass poisoning episodes and the potentially fatal consequences of illicit and contaminated alcohol.
Read also: The Tragic Tale of Mahia: Morocco’s Moonshine Menace
