Following the deaths of six people due to methanol poisoning in Laos, authorities there have detained eight members of backpacker hostel staff, the Laos Post has reported. Meanwhile governments around the world have issued warnings to their citizens about how to avoid the same fate.
What’s the difference between methanol and safe-to-drink alcohol?
Methanol is similar to ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, except that it is highly toxic to humans. Colourless and flammable, methanol has industrial uses in the production of formaldehyde, which is deployed in the building sector and to preserve household products. It is also an ingredient in antifreeze, fuel and thinning agents.
When consumed by humans, ethanol is metabolised through the small intestine blood stream to the liver, where it is met by enzymes that eventually turn it into acetic acid, which can give the body energy and form essential molecules. But methanol has a different chemical structure, with just one carbon atom, compared to ethanol’s two, which means that instead of acetic acid, methanol becomes formaldehyde and formic acid once inside the human body. Formic acid poisons our cells’ mitochondria, depressing the nervous system and eventually leading to blindness, coma and death.
So, how does methanol get into drinks for human consumption?
Methanol can get into alcohol through unsafe distilling practices. Consuming home-made alcoholic beverages such as rice or palm “spirits” or accepting mixed drinks and cocktails of unknown origin and with unverified ingredients, as well as leaving drinks unattended – all entail a risk of methanol poisoning. More methanol poisonings happen across Asia than anywhere else due to the popularity of home distilling and the continent’s abundance of party destinations.
Although the one-party state authorities in Laos have released few details about their investigation, this recent fatal incident is thought to have occurred as a result of “free shots” of “local spirits” being distributed at a bar, according to a now-deleted Facebook post by one of the recent group of young people who became ill.
What are the best ways to try to stay safe?
To stay safe, alcohol should only ever be purchased from reputable, licensed sources. Consumers should always check that bottle seals are intact and that there are no signs of forgery on packaging, such as misprinted labels and spelling errors.
As little as 30 minutes or as long as two hours after methanol ingestion, symptoms such as confusion, irritability, and sleepiness may occur, followed by dizziness, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhoea – before breathlessness, convulsions and unconsciousness set in.
The more rapidly treatment for methanol poisoning is started, the better the potential health outcome, so recognising the symptoms above is essential. Unfortunately, they can occur after less than a teaspoon of methanol has been consumed, British health authorities have said, and can resemble the effects of being drunk and prevent potential poisoning victims from taking the necessary action.
It is therefore wise whenever drinking any alcohol for at least one trusted person to remain sober so that they can remain vigilant and respond as needed to any problems. Treatment is likely to include hospitalisation and dialysis, so taking out comprehensive health insurance when travelling is a must.
