Teenager dies after drinking potent Polish spirit 0:48
The family of an 18-year-old who died after drinking a potent polish spirit is calling for the sale of the high-strength alcohol to be banned in Australia.
- news.com.au
- 17 Nov 2014
- News
THE family of a WA teenager who died after consuming a potent brand of alcohol at her 18th birthday party has called for a complete ban on the sale of high-strength liquor in Australia.
Nicole Bicknell collapsed and passed out after drinking a few shots of Polmos Spirytus Rektyfikowany, a Polish spirit that has a 95 per cent alcohol content, two weeks ago.
According to Nicole’s grieving family, the Thornlie teen only had a few mixed drinks over the course of the evening when she was offered the spirit by a male friend. A few hours later, she was dead.
While the family still has to wait five weeks for the official cause of death, Nicole’s devastated mother Belinda, heartbroken grandparents Glynis and Kevin McLean and shattered siblings Tracy and Steven told PerthNow they believe it was the potent drink that killed her.
The Australian Medical Association called for a ban on the sale of Spirytus Rektyfikowany two years ago.
Nicole Bicknell died on her 18th birthday. Photo: Supplied Source: Supplied
Nicole, who wanted to follow in her father and grandfather’s footsteps by becoming a police officer, rarely drank alcohol.
Her family said she consumed a few shots of the “rectified” (a process to increase concentration) spirit in quick succession, unaware of its dangers, after being spurred on by the friend.
One 500ml bottle of Spirytus Rektyfikowany contains 38 standard drinks – more than double the potentially lethal dose for an average adult.
Ms Bicknell said she was outraged authorities didn’t listen to the AMA’s warnings in 2012.
“It’s like anything, more deaths have to happen before things get done,” she said. “I just feel very angry right now.”
The drink has been described as a “highly concentrated ethanol” which should be used in very small amounts “as a base for mixed drinks and the creation of liqueurs”. It has also been described as being “widely used in households and for medical purposes”.
It was available for about $60 off the shelf at Dan Murphy’s stores but, after a request from Nicole’s family, it has since been removed.
A few hours after drinking the spirit, Nicole was dead. Source: News Limited
A Woolworths Liquor Group spokeswoman confirmed the drink had been removed from sale from all of its Australian stores.
But it is available from some independent Australian liquor retail websites.
Nicole’s family said they want Polmos Spirytus Rektyfikowany and any other high-strength liquor banned from sale across the country.
“I cannot see why alcohol so strong is sold in liquor stores,” Mr McLean said. “No one needs to buy alcohol that strong. It should be taken off the shelves so this doesn’t happen to any other family. Make it an offence to sell it and ban it completely.
“That’s the main thing. We just don’t want it to happen to anyone else.
“If they (retailers) have any sort of conscience they would remove it. We want it banned Australia-wide and we would like to see it an offence to sell it.”
Family pay tribute to ‘gentle soul’
NICOLE Bicknell could not wait until she turned 18.
For months, she reminded her close knit family of the exact number of days, hours, minutes and seconds until she legally became an adult.
Nicole’s dream career was a police forensics officer. Photo: Supplied Source: Supplied
Counting, or mathematics, was her forte. And so was attention to detail.
According to her family, her obsession with being precise and organised meant she was made for her dream career as a forensics officer with the WA Police.
But tragically this dream will never be realised after the bubbly, bright 18-year-old’s life was cut short two weeks ago by suspected alcohol poisoning.
While devastated by their loss, her family say they feel blessed to have had such a “gentle soul” in their lives.
“If there was one word to sum up Nicole, it’s perfect,” mum Belinda explained.
“She was too good to be true. She was very thoughtful and was always thinking about others.
“She had friends from all races and got along with everyone.”
Almost 300 people attended the Thornlie teen’s funeral on Wednesday, which her mum said was a testament to her popularity.
“She was a gentle soul and there wasn’t a mean bone in her body,” her sister Tracy added.
Originally published as Teen drinks herself to death at own party