Australians are being put at risk of dire health consequences as tainted illicit alcohol is unknowingly sold in bottle shops, prompting calls for stronger liquor regulation.
Researchers from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW and National Drug Research Institute found almost one-in-three bottle shops visited across Victoria, NSW, and Queensland contained suspected illicit alcohol products.
"We're finding regular bottle shops are stocking products that we suspect are illicit, and that we've found have contaminants in them," postdoctoral research fellow Michala Kowalski told AAP.
The danger is compounded by people being lulled into a false sense of security, believing their purchase is legitimate because it came from a genuine retailer.
Researchers found contaminants like methanol and plastic debris in some products.
