Tag: Alcohol adulteration

In 1868, a Florida law made the use of grains of paradise in liquor a third-degree felony, driven by fears that it was a poisonous drug. However, the notion that 'grains of paradise are illegal' is a historical misconception, stemming from old regulations aimed at curbing the adulteration of spirits.

According to Doctors Without Borders, thousands of people are poisoned by methanol every year, with fatality rates ranging from 20% to 40% in outbreaks. Though commercial alcoholic beverages are regulated to contain safe, negligible amounts, illicitly produced alcohol poses a severe risk of high, toxic concentrations of methanol.