It isn't.
Ethyl alcohol is used for beverage purposes as it is the only alcohol that is safe for human consumption.
Methyl alcohol causes permanent blindness if consumed.
Answer:
There are several things to know about the impacts of consuming methyl alcohol:
- As little as 30 ml of 40% solution to be fatal.
- Impacts can be realized within 1 to 2 hours of consumption
- Methanol is metabolized in the liver to formaldehyde and formic acid by alcohol dehydrogenase. The formic acid is what causes the more serious delayed effects. It impacts the liver, gastrointestinal tract, eyes and kidneys.
- The first impacts are nausea, vomiting, headache, vertigo and gastritis. Methanol itself causes these. More severe impacts are convulsions and coma.
- After metabolises (30 hours after ingestion) there are visual disturbances, severe metabolic acidosis, seizures, coma and death.
- Ocular toxicity is associated with diminished vision, flashing spots, dilated pupils, optic disc hyperemia, retinal edema and ultimately blindness.
