Six travelers have died from suspected methanol poisoning after visiting the tourist town of Vang Vieng, Laos, this month.
The travelers — two from Australia, two from Denmark, one from United Kingdom and one from United States — are believed to have consumed alcohol tainted with methanol, which is usually illegally added to regular or home-brewed alcohol to chop costs.
Some fourteen people were sickened following an evening out in Vang Vieng around Nov. 12. One such traveler recently returned home to Latest Zealand, in accordance with local news reports.
Methanol is cheaper than ethanol, which is the alcohol that is normally present in beer, wine and spirits. Odorless and colorless, drinking 30 milliliters of methanol — lower than an ordinary shot — could be fatal, while consuming as little as 10 milliliters — or two teaspoons — may cause blindness, in accordance with the non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders.
“Methanol poisoning is a worldwide public health issue that has too little focus,” in accordance with a fact sheet published by the organization.
Since 2019, it has registered 943 incidents which have poisoned greater than 39,000 people and killed around 12,900 people.
A lack of awareness about methanol poisoning, from the general public in addition to the medical communities where outbreaks often occur, exacerbates the issue, in accordance with the organization.
Where incidents are the best
Most incidents of methanol poisoning occur in Asia, in accordance with Doctors Without Borders.
A website by Doctors Without Borders that monitors methanol poisoning says many foreign tourists have fallen victim to methanol poisoning after consuming incorrectly distilled “arak” in Bali, Lombok and Gili Islands.
In September, several people were poisoned by methanol in Indonesia after consuming alcohol ordered off the web, in accordance with the web site. In July, five students were poisoned after mixing tainted liquor with energy drinks, three of whom later died, it states.
A Facebook page called “Just Don’t Drink Spirits in Bali” advises people to drink beer, cider, wine and duty-free alcohol purchased on arrival in Bali, but to avoid cocktails and shots.
“If someone has to pour a drink out of bottle of mixed spirits behind the bar, there a possible that you might find yourself with methanol poisoning,” said the page’s creator Colin Ahaern.
“Watch out,” he said. “Bali is a beautiful place, nevertheless it’s got its own traps.”
Countries where probably the most people have been poisoned
Based on Doctors Without Borders, Iran leads when it comes to the number of people that have been poisoned by methanol over the past five years.
In April 2020 — the month after Covid-19 was declared a pandemic — greater than 5,800 people in Iran were poisoned by methanol in a mass incident that killed some 800 people, in accordance with Doctors Without Borders. The organization states that many mistakenly believed that drinking the alcohol would kill the Covid virus.
Doctors Without Borders cautions travelers about drinking alcohol in informal settings and places that usually are not licensed to sell alcohol. It also recommends travelers avoid alcohol that is free or poured from unlabeled containers.
The organization added that many outbreaks and poisonings go undiagnosed since symptoms mirror those which are common with food poisoning and hangovers, equivalent to vomiting and drowsiness. But, it states, methanol poisoning also can cause vertigo, rapid heartbeat in addition to blurry vision and blindness.
