Distilling won't harm you, either (although it's not legal as homebrewing is). That's a throwback to the days of prohibition and "bathtub gin". People that were more interested in making a quick buck than anything else would take just about anything toxic, mix it up in their bathtub and sell it as moonshine. It was those concoctions that could have made you blind, etc. Anything naturally fermented (as distilled liquors must first be) will not do that.