Deadly methanol poisoning abroad Danes, Brits, Aussie, and American among victims.
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Deadly methanol poisoning turns cocktails lethal in South East Asia.
Methanol poisoning leaves customers blind, seriously ill, or dead after dodgy booze binges.
A cocktail of cheap alcohol and carelessness has led to heartbreak for families worldwide as methanol poisoning continues to claim lives. The toxic tipple has left some victims fighting for their lives in hospital, while authorities warn holidaymakers to beware of counterfeit booze.
In the latest tragedy, two Danish women, Anne-Sofie Coyman, aged 20, and Feja Sorensen, aged 21, have sadly passed away. Across the same region, others have succumbed to the deadly brew, including Australian Bianca Jones, 19, and a 56-year-old American man, identified as James Huston. A British backpacker, Simone White, 28, from Orpington, also died after enjoying ‘free shots‘ at a bar in Laos. She’s one of six Brits treated for suspected methanol poisoning in the tourist hotspot of Vang Vieng.
What’s methanol, and why’s it so deadly?
Methanol, nicknamed ‘wood alcohol,‘ is a sneaky killer. It looks and smells like its safer cousin, ethanol (the alcohol in your G&T), but a sip could blind you or worse. Often used in paint thinners and antifreeze, methanol has no place in your cocktail glass.
Once in the body, methanol morphs into formaldehyde, a chemical used to embalm corpses, and formic acid, which can attack your organs. Just 25ml of methanol – less than two shots – can be fatal.
How does methanol sneak into your drink?
Methanol often ends up in drinks for one of two reasons:
- Cost-cutting crooks swap ethanol for methanol to save money, bottling the poison and selling it as spirits.
- Homemade hooch goes wrong when amateur brewers fail to control fermentation, creating a toxic brew.
Both methods are common across Southeast Asia, where cheap local spirits and knock-off brand-name alcohol flood tourist hotspots. To the untrained eye, methanol-laced booze looks no different from the real thing, and by the time you taste something odd, it could already be too late.
Could it be methanol poisoning?
Symptoms of methanol poisoning often mimic a bad hangover but quickly escalate:
- Blurry vision or complete blindness.
- Vomiting, dizziness, and confusion.
- Abdominal and muscle pain.
- Extreme fatigue or unconsciousness.
If you suspect methanol poisoning, time is critical. Treatment involves giving victims ethanol (yes, more booze!) to slow methanol’s deadly breakdown, combined with dialysis to flush it out. But it’s a race against the clock- after 30 hours, the damage could be irreversible.
How to dodge the danger?
While enjoying your hols, avoid making your drink the last thing you do. Here’s how to stay safe:
- Skip the freebies – if you didn’t see it poured, don’t drink it.
- Buy from trusted bars and shops with proper licences.
- Inspect the label – look for spelling mistakes, poor-quality print, or broken seals.
- Say no to homemade brews – no matter how ‘harmless‘ they’re advertised to be.
The UK’s Foreign Office urges travellers to be cautious, particularly with local spirits like rice or palm liquor, which are common culprits in counterfeit cases.
A deadly global epidemic
The grim reality is that methanol poisonings aren’t limited to Southeast Asia. Across the globe, victims fall prey to illegal booze:
- In India, more than 100 people died in Tamil Nadu earlier in January 2024 after consuming toxic alcohol.
- In Russia, contaminated cider killed 30 drinkers in 2023.
- Even in Europe, in Greece, Hannah Powell, 23, lost her sight after a single vodka drink mixed with methanol in Zante.
The bottom line? Stay savvy with your spirits
Methanol isn’t just a holiday hazard; it’s a worldwide killer. With counterfeit alcohol and home brews rampant in certain parts of the world, the best advice is to trust your instincts. If something seems too good (or cheap) to be true, it probably is. Stay safe, and keep your tipple trouble-free.
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