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The Rhodesia Herald, 

January 24, 1972 

THE death toll rose to nearly 100 yesterday in India’s latest bootlegging tragedy, which has again struck slum dwellers unable to afford expensive alcoholic beverages. 

Police said they were almost certain that the mass deaths were caused by methyl alcohol and paint varnish, sold as a substitute for whisky to labourers who wanted to celebrate a wedding in one of the city’s shanty towns on Friday – one of the two days a week when the sale of alcohol is prohibited. 

The father of the groom, unable to pay for drinks himself, sent his guests to a nearby unlicenced liquor shop for what was thought to be a bargain: a glass of “new kind of drink” for only 50 paisa (12c). 

A glass of whisky costs about 7,30 rupees (about $1,70) more than most labourers earn in a day. 

By Saturday night, three city hospitals were treating emergency cases with the same symptoms: first vomiting, then blindness. Finally, death. 

Last night police said 65 people, including four women, had died in hospitals and 30 more were believed to have died in their huts. 

Another 26 victims were lying unconscious in hospitals, with little chance of survival. 

When police went to the shop, they found the owner, his mother and his brother dead. They were among the wedding guests and presumably he had taken a drink himself and shared it with his family. – Iana-AP. 

Lessons for today 

When holding events such as weddings, which attract a lot of people, it is important to ensure that food and drinks do not run out, which may force the organisers to settle for cheaper alternatives. 

Cheap can be expensive. It is important not to settle for something just because it is cheap without first analysing or evaluating the service or goods that one is paying for. 

When buying things like food and drinks it is important to buy from registered suppliers or shops that sell genuine stuff whose standards have been checked and approved by requisite bodies such as the Standards Association of Zimbabwe. 

People should always careful and cautious about what they eat or drink especially if they are not sure about the source.