Cocktails and mixed drinks may contain methanol in some foreign bars due to lax standards, according to a toxicologist.
Photo: 123rf

Improper alcohol production and cost cutting can lead to methanol poisoning, but drinking legitimate alcohol is one way to slow the effects until help can be sought, says one toxicologist.

Five people are believed to have died from poisoning in Laos. A New Zealander who is sick can also be a victimsaid the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Dr Paul Gee, emergency specialist and toxicologist, said Midday report that unfortunately, methanol poisoning is not uncommon in many countries.

“This is happening all over the world,” he said.

“Methanol can get into bar drinks because it’s a byproduct of backyard fermentation, so in normal industrial ethanol production, by drinking alcohol, the methanol is actually removed.

“But in this case, poor production procedures or lax standards resulted in methanol being used in alcohol intended for consumption.”

Dr. Gee has previously treated patients with methanol poisoning.

“As we have heard recently, the worst outcome is death.

“We had a patient several years ago, a tourist who had come from Bali and had been drinking and flew to come to Christchurch.

“As soon as she arrived in Christchurch, she started feeling unwell. Her heart was racing, her vision was starting to fail, so she came to the hospital for treatment.

“She ended up in intensive care, very close to death, and was left permanently blind, which is a very sad outcome for her.”

If anyone thinks they have ingested methanol, they should get help immediately, Dr Gee said.

“If you are in a foreign country, you need to know where you can get help.

“But one of the first relief measures you can do is get some legal alcohol – so legal alcohol without methanol – which can actually temporarily stop acid production and save you time until you can get to a hospital where they are dialyzed in intensive care.”

Mostly, methanol is introduced in an effort to reduce costs, Dr Gee said.

“The most likely way for a tourist to mix methanol into their drinks is to have a cocktail for a cocktail at a bar in one of these countries.

“In these countries, bars often replace commercially produced alcohol with contraband alcohol because it is cheaper.”

At first, a methanol effect may seem like the usual effect of alcohol, but it can quickly change.

“When the body ingests methanol it first thinks it is like ethanol, you will feel intoxicated, maybe slightly high, but as the body converts the methanol to acid, You will feel sicker and sicker.”

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