6 dead due to methanol poisoning from tainted alcohol

Six tourists have died in Laos due to suspected methanol poisoning from tainted alcohol.^[] The tourists became sick in the town of Vang Vieng after consuming alcoholic drinks that were believed to have been laced with methanol.

“It's obviously very disturbing," Keith Humphreys, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University and an expert in addictive substances, tells MDLinx. "It's not a great risk for this to happen, but it does happen sometimes, particularly in places where the manufacture and sale of alcohol is not well-regulated."

Explaining toxicity

Unlike ethanol, a form of alcohol found in drinks like cocktails, wine, and beer, methanol is a toxic form of alcohol that can cause serious harm if ingested.

"Part of what I think is confusing to people is when we think of things like wine and beer, we say they're alcoholic beverages, which they are. But what that leaves out is there's more than one type of alcohol," Dr. Humphreys says. "Methanol is very close to ethanol; chemically, it's just one carbon atom away, but unlike [ethanol], it is far, far more toxic. Even in small amounts, [methanol] breaks down into formaldehyde and formic acid, so even sips can cause intense nausea and vomiting and pain, and large amounts from that can be fatal,” Dr. Humphreys says.  

Home-brewed alcohol is a risk factor

Methanol poisoning due to tainted drinks can be a risk in popular tourist destinations in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. And as little as one shot of methanol can be fatal.^[]

Poisoning can occur from contaminated drinks including unusually cheap or discounted brands of alcohol, drinks that contain spirits, and local home-brewed spirits.

“You could certainly get methanol poisoning in many different settings, among which is home-grown alcohols. If it's not done correctly, you could end up making methanol instead of ethanol,” Michael Levine, MD, an emergency medicine physician at UCLA Health Toxicology Clinic and an expert in toxicology, tells MDLinx.

 If ingested, methanol can do significant damage. “[Methanol is] very dangerous. It could cause you to go blind, it could cause you to become comatose, and it could be fatal. And in terms of quantity, it's going to depend largely on body size, but someone having a couple large gulps of methanol could be quite dangerous,” Dr. Levine says.

What to watch for

Those who experience methanol poisoning may appear normal for the first 12 to 24 hours after exposure. This is known as the latent period.^[]

Both Dr. Humphreys and Dr. Levine say the best way to avoid methanol poisoning from tainted alcohol is to take sensible precautions when choosing drinks.

“The challenge is that methanol and ethanol, what we normally drink, are so close together that most people can't tell them apart. They look the same [and] they smell the same, so the only way to protect yourself is just not to drink in places where you don't have confidence in the production and sales system,” Dr. Humphreys says.

“If you think you've been exposed, the best thing you can do is immediately get to medical attention, if it's available, and say what you think has happened,” Dr. Humphreys adds.