Toddler dies after being given alcohol

A two-year-old boy has died after drinking cups of baijiu, which has an alcohol content of between 40 to 60%, while at a meal with his father.

Often appearing at Chinese banquets, baijiu is made from the distilled sorghum plant

According to online news portal AsiaOne, the child in Sichuan Province lost consciousness and died after he drank baijiu – a strong alcohol drink often found at Chinese banquets and is China’s most consumed spirit.

The boy’s father, named Wang, took him to a friend’s house in Panzhihua city for a meal in the company of two other friends and upon drinking a few cups himself, took a rest and left his son with his friends.

The host tried to stop the child from drinking from his father‘s cup but he was reportedly encouraged to do so by the other men. After drinking about 100ml, he then fell asleep and lost consciousness.

After failing to wake up, he was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead from acute alcoholism.

The men have since been arrested and are being investigated for causing death by negligence.