How drinking methanol destroys your entire body in just three days, while the death toll in Laos rises to six

It is a common ingredient used in industrial and household products such as paint thinners, antifreeze, varnish and even copy fluid.

But now methanol is receiving new attention for its role in the deaths of six foreign tourists who were drunkenly given shots allegedly laced with the substance while on holiday in Laos – including that of a young British lawyer.

Here we show how the poison can wreak havoc on the body within hours of ingestion, leaving drinkers paralyzed, unable to breathe and at risk of losing their sight.

Methanol, like the alcohol we consume in beer, wine and spirits, is a colorless liquid that smells like booze, but is much cheaper to produce.

But the consequences are much more catastrophic.

Just half a shot, or 15 ml, of a methanol-infused alcohol could be enough to kill, experts say.

Alarmingly, the harmful liquid is increasingly being used as a cheap alcohol substitute by unscrupulous shops and bars in certain holiday resorts – replacing or mixing with the normal alcohol found in popular drinks.

Symptoms of methanol ingestion can also vary depending on the person and the amount consumed.

Normally the effects last between only It takes another 40 minutes and 72 hours, meaning prompt treatment of suspected methanol ingestion is essential.

Early signs may reflect alcohol poisoning, with drinkers typically experiencing problems with coordination, balance and speech, as well as confusion and vomiting.

At the same time, blood pressure drops, resulting in a dizzy and weak feeling.

The numbing effect also makes users unresponsive more quickly.

In this condition, drinkers may be unable to coordinate their own muscle movements.

Dr. Wayne Carter, Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, said: ‘Like alcohol, it is oxidized in the body, but the breakdown of methanol produces a strong and dangerous acid: formic acid.’

This causes a person’s blood to become acidic.

He added: ‘It also forms a toxic product, formaldehyde, a carcinogenic chemical.’

In a marked difference from alcohol poisoning, if enough of it builds up, it can start to attack the nervous system, especially the optic nerve, which carries messages between the brain and the eye.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, vision changes often occur between 12 and 48 hours after ingesting methanol.

Professor Sir Colin Berry, an expert in pathology at Queen Mary University of London, said these can range from mild sensitivity to light and ‘foggy or blurred vision’ to ‘visual hallucinations’ such as dancing spots and flashes, or even ‘partial or total loss of vision’.

In later stages – about 18 to 48 hours after ingestion – the formic acid, which stops energy production in the cells, causes the pH of the blood to drop, damaging tissues and organs in the body.

This can lead to kidney failure, seizures and even gastrointestinal bleeding.

“Drowsiness can progress to a coma,” Sir Colin added.

A dramatic change in heart rate — speeding up rapidly or slowing down sharply — is often a sign of a “fatal case,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say.

The effect on muscle relaxation also depresses the respiratory system, leading to sudden swallowing difficulties and making it more difficult for people to breathe.

“Low blood pressure – hypotension – and respiratory arrest occur when death is imminent,” the CDC adds.

Treatment often depends on the severity of the poisoning, but only blood tests can confirm this.

This usually involves removing methanol from the blood via dialysis, while “keeping someone slightly intoxicated” by giving them alcohol at the same time, said Professor Alistair Hay, an expert in toxicology at the University of Leeds.

“The principle behind administering alcohol is quite simple: it slows down methanol metabolism,” he added.

‘Both are broken down by the same liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. But the enzyme prefers alcohol.

‘It therefore acts as an inhibitor by largely preventing the breakdown of methanol.

“It slows it down, allowing the body to release methanol from the lungs and some through the kidneys, and some through sweat.”

This avoids the process by which methanol is ultimately converted into formic acid, he added.

Warnings about the risks of the poison come after six deaths in Laos.

The family of Australian teenager Holly Bowles confirmed today that the 19-year-old had died, more than a week after she fell ill in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.

Her friend Bianca Jones, 19, and British lawyer Simone White, 28, were also killed in the horrific incident, along with two Danish women aged 19 and 20 and a 56-year-old American man.

It is believed that at least eleven people remain in hospital.

Ms White, Ms Jones and Ms Bowles all stayed at the Nana Backpackers Hostel, where they were given free shots of booze believed to be laced with methanol.

Now the hostel’s manager, Duong Duc Toan, has reportedly been detained by local police, who said a “number” of people had been taken into custody but no charges have yet been laid.

Staff previously vehemently denied that the shots at their bar were responsible for the mass poisoning.

But Ms White’s friend Bethany Clarke, a health worker also from Orpington, took to the Laos Backpacking Facebook group to warn other travellers.

She said: ‘Urgent – ​​please avoid all local spirits. Our group stayed in Vang Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars.

“Just avoid them because it’s not worth it. Six of us who drank in the same place are currently in hospital with methanol poisoning.”

The Foreign Office has issued guidance to Britons traveling to the country, warning them against consuming replica alcohol brands that may contain hidden levels of methanol.

It says travelers are warned against consuming replica alcohol brands that may contain hidden amounts of methanol.

The latest advice reads: ‘Both male and female tourists have reported having their drinks or food spiked with drugs and in some cases assaulted. Never leave food and drinks unattended.

‘Be careful about accepting drinks from strangers in bars, clubs, restaurants and at parties.’

The recent spate of deaths and critical injuries comes a year after a coroner warned that the British government was not doing enough to warn travelers about the risk of contaminated alcoholic drinks following the death of a British woman in Indonesia.

According to the latest NHS data, there were 15 emergency admissions for methanol poisoning in Britain in 2023/2024.

However, many cases are likely to involve cases where products containing methanol for industrial purposes, such as windshield washer fluid or automotive antifreeze, have been accidentally consumed.