





























See Also
See Again
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
MSF statement
- Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) recently issued a statement on the prevalence of widespread cases of methanol poisoning in Southeast Asia.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Sudden illness
- Approximately 12 people began to feel extremely ill and called for help, due to what physicians identified as suspected methanol poisoning.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Deaths
- Despite treatment in neighboring Thai hospitals, six travelers succumbed to the poisoning, leading to their deaths.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Investigation
- An investigation conducted by Laos authorities concluded that the incident was due to illegally produced alcohol containing methanol.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Travel warnings
- UK and Australian authorities have issued travel warnings regarding potential methanol poisonings for those visiting Laos.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Turkey - On January 15, Turkish officials confirmed that 23 people had died in Istanbul as a result of methanol-tainted alcohol, all within 48 hours.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
Home brewing
- Home brewing can also result in generating methanol accidentally, depending on what is used in the fermentation process.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Intense hangover
- Symptoms of methanol poisoning can be confused for an intense hangover, with symptoms like blurry vision, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Rapid intervention
- Methanol poising requires rapid intervention, even in the lowest doses, as immediate treatment has been shown to greatly mitigate irreparable damage.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
Fomepizole
- Medication such as fomepizole, which halts the generation of formic acid, can be administered to poisoned individuals.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Ventilation support
- Intubation may be necessary if a person has lost their ability to breathe on their own, or requires ventilation support.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Dialysis
- Medical treatments can also include the use of dialysis, which can be used to eliminate methanol from the body.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
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
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
MSF statement
- Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) recently issued a statement on the prevalence of widespread cases of methanol poisoning in Southeast Asia.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Sudden illness
- Approximately 12 people began to feel extremely ill and called for help, due to what physicians identified as suspected methanol poisoning.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Deaths
- Despite treatment in neighboring Thai hospitals, six travelers succumbed to the poisoning, leading to their deaths.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Investigation
- An investigation conducted by Laos authorities concluded that the incident was due to illegally produced alcohol containing methanol.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Travel warnings
- UK and Australian authorities have issued travel warnings regarding potential methanol poisonings for those visiting Laos.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Turkey - On January 15, Turkish officials confirmed that 23 people had died in Istanbul as a result of methanol-tainted alcohol, all within 48 hours.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
Home brewing
- Home brewing can also result in generating methanol accidentally, depending on what is used in the fermentation process.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Intense hangover
- Symptoms of methanol poisoning can be confused for an intense hangover, with symptoms like blurry vision, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Rapid intervention
- Methanol poising requires rapid intervention, even in the lowest doses, as immediate treatment has been shown to greatly mitigate irreparable damage.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
Fomepizole
- Medication such as fomepizole, which halts the generation of formic acid, can be administered to poisoned individuals.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Ventilation support
- Intubation may be necessary if a person has lost their ability to breathe on their own, or requires ventilation support.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Dialysis
- Medical treatments can also include the use of dialysis, which can be used to eliminate methanol from the body.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
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
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
Methanol poisoning: the silent killer you need to know about
Suspected poisonings continue to claim lives
© Shutterstock
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU




































MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week