JEDDAH, 17 March 2006 — The Health Ministry yesterday confirmed the death of 17 people in Madinah, Riyadh and Taif after they took cologne that contains poisonous methanol.
“We have received the news of 17 deaths,” said Khaled Al-Mirghalani, the ministry’s spokesman.
Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency, he also said that 37 others had fallen sick after drinking cologne as an intoxicant. Madinah saw the death of 10 people after 26 fell ill drinking the chemical. Of the 22 cases reported in Riyadh, six died. In Taif there were six cases but only one person died, he explained.
Al-Mirghalani said health officials had conducted tests on people who had fallen ill after drinking cologne.
“Most of them have been taking intoxicants for the past three to five years,” he pointed out. He warned the public against drinking cologne for intoxication, saying it would put their lives in danger.
