More Than 60 Russians Die After Drinking Bath Lotion To Get Drunk

In Russia, poisonings related to the consumption of substitute alcohol are not altogether uncommon, with an estimated 12 million people resorting to cheap, fake spirits; however, in the city of Irkutsk in Siberia, 62 people died this weekend after drinking bath lotion containing deadly levels of methanol and antifreeze.

The mass poisoning led to a declared state of emergency in the city. The Russian government is pushing for tighter regulations on the sale of surrogate alcohol, Reuters reported.

President Vladimir Putin asked the ministries to uphold tighter restrictions on the production and sales of liquids and medicine containing more than 25 percent of alcohol.

The bath lotion, called Hawthorn, was labeled with warnings against internal use, but it also failed to list methanol as one of its ingredients, the Associated Press reported. The bottle instead listed ethyl alcohol as an ingredient.

To date, 12 people have been detained with ties to the distribution of the poisonous product, Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement.