How much liquor can kill you? The question was raised after a man reportedly died at a liquor outlet after partaking in a drinking competition, at Mashamba village in Limpopo on Sunday.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed that police in Waterval have opened an inquest.

“The case was opened after an incident of apparent misuse of alcohol where patrons participated in a drinking competition. The person who could consume the content of an entire bottle within a specified time, would be declared the winner and receive a R200 prize,” he explains.

Mojapelo says the victim, believed to be between the age of 25 and 30, collapsed shortly after having drunk the entire bottle within two minutes.

“He was taken to a local clinic where he was certified dead,” Mojapelo says.

According to Healthline, the answer to the question of how much liquor can kill you, is not straightforward.

“The effects of alcohol are felt a little differently from person to person as a number of factors influence the amount of liquor each person can withstand.

Your age, weight and sex assigned at birth are major factors, but they’re not the only ones. Your body’s water composition is another factor, as is enzyme production and any medications you’re taking,” their article reads.

The article adds that at a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of over 0.4% is dangerous territory.

“At this level, there’s a risk of coma or death. If your BAC is between 0.08 and 0.4%, you’re likely to be very impaired and have symptoms such as confusion, drowsiness and nausea.”