Two teenagers from Greenbrier, Tennessee died after drinking a potent cocktail dubbed as "Dewshine." While this is not the first time that such a concoction was made, these two teenagers, Logan Stephenson, and J.D. Byram apparently drank more than the others.
According to reports, the doctor said that the boys mistakenly mixed methanol with Mountain Dew instead of ethanol. Even a very small amount of methanol can be very toxic to the body, which could eventually lead to death.
The toxicity of methanol is from the metabolic products it contains, according to CDC. These byproducts can lead to metabolic acidosis, a condition brought about by the accumulation of acid in the blood. Aside from this, it could also lead to death and blindness.
The specific cause of death must be confirmed by an autopsy, Telegraph stated. The home-made cocktail was also consumed by other boys, but they were fortunate enough at not having drunk what's more than necessary.
Classmates and other students from Greenbrier High expressed shock at the incident. The local police have also asked parents to warn their children about the dangers of "Dewshine" and to avoid its consumption at any cost.
"We have certainly seen methanol infections, but nothing like this. I mean, this was a product that was almost 100 percent methanol, which is quite unusual, " Dr Donna Seger, Poison Centre Director of Tennessee, said at NEWS 2. "I think it's very sad because I am sure that they had no idea how toxic what they were ingesting was."
It must be noted that the homemade cocktail "Dewshine" is not the same non-alcoholic drink Dewshine from PepsiCo. Teenagers must be more careful when making concoctions, and make sure that what they are mixing will not lead them to suffer any injury, or at worse, death.
