As Dozens More Report Blackouts at Mexico Resorts, Country Says It Will Act on Tainted Alcohol Raquel Rutledge - Journal Sentinel
go to original July 30, 2017

The State Department is warning of tainted alcohol in Mexico (Buzz60)

More than three dozen incidents have surfaced in the wake of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation this month into the death of 20-year-old Abbey Conner at the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar in Playa del Carmen in January.

Travelers from around the country have called and emailed the Journal Sentinel, describing similar incidents at numerous resorts in Mexico and providing documentation for their stories.

They describe how they got sick and blacked out — many times after just two drinks — while vacationing at the upscale all-inclusive resorts in the region around Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, as well as in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.

Some were robbed, sexually assaulted and otherwise seriously injured. Many were hospitalized. Some said they were forced to pay clinics huge sums in cash before getting treatment.

Others can find no apparent motive for why they might have received tainted or “spiked” alcohol.

The president of Mexico’s health commission, Sen. Salvador López Brito, said in an interview that the legislature is working on an “initiative to improve the controls and inspections for tainted alcohol at resorts.”

The legislative plans will be presented in September, Brito said, without providing additional details.

... The Mexican government has long acknowledged that the nation has a problem with adulterated alcohol. A 2017 report by Euromonitor International found 36% of the alcohol consumed in the country is illegal, meaning it is sold or produced under unregulated circumstances and potentially dangerous.

The study, done in collaboration with the nation’s Tax Administration Service, found that was an improvement from two years earlier, when 43% was illegal.

Read the rest at Journal Sentinel

Related: Expert Tips for Avoiding Tainted Alcohol in Mexico (USA Today)

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