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MSF statement -

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has issued a statement on the prevalence of widespread cases of methanol poisoning in Southeast Asia.

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Penny Wong -

Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister noted that the consumption of methanol-laced drinks, unfortunately, is a “far too common” occurrence throughout the world.

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Laos -

In November 2024, a group of American, European, and Australian tourists consumed alcohol at their local hostel, while others were provided “free shots” from a local bar in the famous backpacker location of Vang Vieng in Laos.

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Sudden illness -

Approximately 12 people began to feel extremely ill and called for help, due to what physicians identified as suspected methanol poisoning.

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Deaths -

Despite treatment in neighboring Thai hospitals, six travelers succumbed to the poisoning, leading to their deaths.

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Investigation -

The exact cause of death and precise location of the poisonings has not yet been confirmed by authorities, as a thorough investigation is being conducted by Laos authorities.

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Travel warnings -

UK and Australian authorities have issued travel warnings regarding potential methanol poisonings for those visiting Laos.

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India -

In June 2024, over 200 people were hospitalized, a quarter of whom didn’t survive, in the Tamil Nadu state in India after consuming methanol-laced alcohol. The tragic incident was one of many that have occurred throughout the country in recent years due to the distribution of poisonous bootleg alcohol.

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Worldwide issue -

Similar cases in the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, Czech Republic, and Poland, among other nations, have witnessed outbreaks of methanol-provoked deaths. Pictured are covered shelves in a Czech bar following police raids after a wave of methanol-provoked deaths.

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Cheap method -

While methanol can be added to any alcoholic beverage, it is often done so in those that include liquor or homemade concoctions, as it’s a cheap way to add alcohol content to a beverage.

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Deliberate vs. accidental -

There are deliberate and accidental ways for this to happen. In manufacturing processes or in serving drinks, methanol is sometimes added to make more of an alcoholic beverage to reduce production costs.

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Home brewing -

Home brewing can also result in generating methanol accidentally, depending on what is used in the fermentation process.

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Places where regulation is relaxed -

Although the addition of methanol is illegal everywhere, places with less strict alcohol regulations, or where it’s more difficult to enforce such regulation, as well as contexts where home-made alcohol is consumed regularly, can be more susceptible to these dangers.

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Methanol -

Methanol is an alcohol, similar to ethanol, the compound we consume in alcoholic beverages. It is a clear, flammable liquid, that smells nearly identical to ethanol.

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Chemical structures -

What makes the two so different is their chemical structures, namely that ethanol consists of two carbon atoms, while methanol has only one. What may seem like a small difference gravely changes its impact on the human body.

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Not safe for human consumption -

Methanol is not safe for human consumption at any level. It is used in a variety of products like fuel, solvents, antifreeze, among other chemical solutions.

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Acetic acid -

When we consume ethanol, the body breaks it down into acetaldehyde, a chemical compound that is then converted to acetate, or acetic acid, basically what we find in products like vinegar.

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Formaldehyde -

When we consume methanol, however, it is turned into formaldehyde, which many of us know as a preserving agent. It then converts to formic acid, which is the chemical used in cleaning products to decalcify.

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Attacks mitochondria -

When in comes to the production of acetic acid, the body uses the chemical to produce energy. In contrast, formic acid attacks and kills our cells.

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Central nervous system -

This attack on the cells can cause a sudden, significant buildup of acid in the body, causing the central nervous system to deteriorate.

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Intense hangover -

Symptoms of methanol poisoning can be confused for an intense hangover, with symptoms like blurry vision, abdominal pain, and vomiting.

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Severe consequences -

The consequences of methanol poisoning are much more severe, causing people to become comatose, provoking permanent vision loss or other disabilities, and can even lead to death.

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Rapid intervention -

Methanol poising requires rapid intervention, even in the lowest doses, as immediate treatment has been shown to greatly mitigate irreparable damage.

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Fomepizole -

Medication such as fomepizole, which halts the generation of formic acid, can be administered to poisoned individuals.

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Ventilation support -

Intubation may be necessary if a person has lost their ability to breathe on their own, or requires ventilation support.

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Dialysis -

Medical treatments can also include the use of dialysis, which can be used to eliminate methanol from the body.

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Symptoms -

Poisoning symptoms can take several hours to appear. But once they do, it’s essential that medical treatment is sought so that treatments can have the most effect. The longer treatment is delayed, the more probable a fatal outcome will occur.

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Commercially-produced beverages -

The best way to prevent poisoning is to only consume reputable, commercially-produced beverages stored in glass bottles or cans, as these are more likely to be safe from methanol poisoning.

Sources: (NPR) (BBC) (The Guardian) (Sky News) (MSF) (SBS News) (ABC Australia)

See also: Inside North Korea: unbelievable stories from a closed-off regime

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