Four people have died – including a teenager – after drinking alcohol that authorities say was contaminated with methanol.
An American, two Danish tourists and a 19-year-old woman from Australia – Bianca Jones – died, while more people fell ill in Vang Vieng, a town popular with backpackers and tourists in Laos. Associated Press he says.
Jones’ cause of death was listed as “brain swelling due to the high levels of methanol found in her body,” AP he says.
A friend who was traveling with Jones, Holly Bowles, 19, remains on life support and is in critical condition.
Stock image of a bottle of alcohol.
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While methanol can be inadvertently produced during the brewing process, The Guardian says it is often illegally added to drinks to increase the alcohol content.
It is a colorless, watery liquid, according to the US Centers for Disease Control, and the symptoms of methanol poisoning are similar to excessive alcohol consumption, such as nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness and vomiting.
“Fatal cases often occur with a fast heart rate (tachycardia) or slow heart rate (bradycardia) and an increased respiratory rate,” the CDC says. “Low blood pressure (hypotension) and respiratory arrest occur when death is imminent.”
According to the AP, it’s often added to mixed drinks to keep alcohol costs down at a bar.
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Stock image of mixed drinks.
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“Drinking and methanol poisoning are all too common in many parts of the world,” Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said after receiving news of Jones’ death. AP he says.
Seventy people died in Mexico in 2020 from alcohol contaminated with methanol. In 2022, 21 teenagers died in South Africa after drinking in a tavern; all of their bloods showed methanol levels at the time of their deaths. And in 2019, at least 19 people were killed by tainted alcohol in Costa Rica.
Wong’s statement continued: “At this point, I would say to parents, to young people, please talk about the risks, please get informed, please work together to make sure this tragedy doesn’t happen again.”
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Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education