Competitive inhibition involves the use of a non-toxic substance that competes with the toxicant for binding sites on enzymes or receptors. This can prevent the toxicant from exerting its harmful effects. An example of this is the use of ethanol to treat methanol poisoning. Ethanol competes with methanol for the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, reducing the formation of toxic metabolites like formaldehyde and formic acid.
