Surrogate alcohol

Some definitions of the term also extend to illegally produced alcoholic beverages.

[1] Most people turn to these as a last resort either out of desperation, being underaged or being unable to afford consumable alcoholic beverages (with homeless alcoholics) or due to lack of access to drinking ethanol (for example with prison inmates and individuals in psychiatric wards).

[2] In December 2016, 78 people died from drinking surrogate alcohol, poisoned with methanol, in the Russian city of Irkutsk.

[3] Serious harm and even death can quickly result from ingestion due to the high alcohol content and other substances harmful to ingestion present in some brands of mouthwash.

[4] It is a common cause of death among homeless people during winter months, because a person can feel warmer after drinking it.