Many South Africans couldn’t believe their ears after reports cited that a man had died after “downing” an entire bottle of Jägermeister. Various publications reported that the Limpopo man collapsed immediately after drinking the alcohol as part of a competition to win R200 cash. While many have poked fun at the man’s bizarre decision to…
Many South Africans couldn’t believe their ears after reports cited that a man had died after “downing” an entire bottle of Jägermeister.
Various publications reported that the Limpopo man collapsed immediately after drinking the alcohol as part of a competition to win R200 cash.
While many have poked fun at the man’s bizarre decision to drink a whole bottle in one go, not much is known about alcohol poisoning and how it affects the human body.
The downside of ‘downing’ alcohol
Tragedy struck at a Limpopo village tavern after one man died trying to win R200 cash. Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, a spokesman for the local police force confirmed that the man collapsed at the Mashamba Village tavern immediately after downing an entire bottle of Jägermeister as part of a drinking competition.
The incident has left many South Africans concerned about the country’s drinking habits and the effects of alcohol on the system.
Speaking to SSiTV, local Pharmacist Zenande Mangqalaza explained that the human body can only process small amounts of alcohol at one time.
When it is consumed in large amounts in short succession, it will lead to ethanol (ethyl alcohol) toxicity which is deadly.
It can get deadly if you don’t know your limits
“In most cases, excessive alcohol consumption, especially in a short amount of time, leads to ethanol toxicity.”
The chances of fatality become higher when one takes into consideration a person’s size, weight, and age. It also tends to have a more adverse effect on the body when it is consumed on an empty stomach.
On that note, people also have different alcohol tolerance levels which is why a seasoned drinker is less likely to get as drunk as someone who doesn’t drink often even though they consumed the same amount of alcohol because heavy drinkers may develop behavioral tolerance to alcohol, explains a LiveScience article.
