Portsmouth, Australia. Alcohol Quality Inspectorate (AQI) was alarmed after Harry Taylor (23), reported a reportedly poisoned alcohol batch. A popular local beer produce was almost forced to stop bottling beer in their branch in Portsmouth.
The man went to a house party with his friends and did not waive from drinking alcohol. After drinking one beer, he felt bad, started vomiting and eventually lost consciousness. After several hours of sleep he told other partygoers that the beer must have been poisoned because he never reacted that bad to it before. After a moment he felt sick once again.
One of the partygoers took it seriously and called the ambulance which took the man to the hospital. The doctor commissioned examination, lavage and clyster. Acting along the guidelines, he notified the AQI.
The examination results did not show presence of any substances that could cause such severe poisoning and the blood alcohol level was just .02 which alarmed the doctors. Colonoscopy was commissioned. It was then when Harry who was scared of the examination, admitted that he always did bad with alcohol and usually secretly drank alcohol-free beer on parties. He planned to do the same this time, but took the wrong bottle.
Unfortunately after the change of shift, the new doctor did not notify the AQI it was a false alarm. They already managed to track the reportedly poisoned alcohol batch and sent a control party to the production plant. After a wave of poisonings from last year, the agency can hold the production completely if they suspect alcohol contamination.
Fortunately the case was resolved before the production was stopped – this would mean serious loss for the company which could then demand a compensation from the agency. Inspectors finished their control anyway but reduced its extent. They did not find any abnormalities.
Medical insurance company became interested in the case and considers asking the man to pay for his hospitalisation and ambulance transport.