Among the deadly methanol poisonings to make headlines:
- In India, more than 170 people have died in the past week from methanol poisoning in the state of West Bengal.
- In October, a New Zealand man died in Bali after drinking a single methanol-laced cocktail.
- During the same week, a young nurse from the NSW city of Newcastle nurse suffered suspected brain damage and kidney failure after drinking a toxic drink containing methanol while holidaying on Lombok.
- In Ecuador, methanol killed at least 48 people and injured 500 – some left blinded – in August this year.
- In May, 5 Russian tourists died in the Turkish port city of Bodrum after drinking local bootleg whiskey while on a sailing trip.
- A methanol-laced homemade gin known as waragi killed 100 people in Uganda last year.

What’s in your drink?
Drinking methanol has the same effects as excessive drinking, but with pronounced vision problems.
However, after the initial effects disappear, they reappear with much greater severity between 6 and 30 hours later.
“Australian travellers need to be aware that this practice is not as uncommon as they might think,” Travelvax Australia’s medical director, Dr Ed Bajrovic said.
“They need to be observant when drinking in bars, large-scale events, or at parties.
“Home-made alcoholic drinks should be avoided. And, not just because methanol poisoning can cause severe illness or death.
“Local alcohol may be stronger than travellers are used to and getting drunk increases the risk of being injured, robbed or assaulted. An insurance policy may be voided if the traveller is injured while intoxicated.”

Small amounts can be lethal
Methanol is cheap. It is widely used in formulations including antifreeze, windshield washer fluid, shellacs, various paints, paint removers, varnishes, duplicating fluids, and petrol additives.
Fatalities have been reported after ingestion of 15 ml or 3 teaspoons of a 40 per cent solution, although 30 ml is generally considered a minimal lethal dose.
With aggressive medical care it is possible to survive the ingestion of 500-600ml.
However, consumption of as little as 10ml may cause blindness, depending on the amount and individual tolerance.

Symptoms can occur in minutes – or days
Symptoms occur between 40 minutes and 72 hours after a drink is consumed. Drinking methanol with alcohol delays the appearance of symptoms, but their absence does not exclude serious toxicity. The usual latent period is 12-24 hours.
Clinical signs may include headache, vertigo, lethargy and confusion, which are common in mild to moderate ethanol intoxications. Coma and convulsions appear in severe cases, probably as a result of cerebral oedema.
Methanol produces little to no euphoria, unlike ethanol.
Rapid medical care is vital to avoid more severe complications of methanol poisoning.
The most seriously poisoned can lose consciousness and die of respiratory or heart failure. Some can linger in a coma for up to a week and may be left blinded.

Toxic alcohol deaths common in India
In India, 12 people were arrested after more than 170 people died from methanol poisoning in the Magrahat, Usthi and Mandirbazar areas of West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district during the past week. There were fears the toll could rise as more are treated in hospital in the Diamond Harbour area.
India has witnessed many incidents of toxic alcohol deaths, including:
- At least 10 people killed in Tamil Nadu in February 2010
- At least 30 people killed in Uttar Pradesh in September 2009
- Some 107 people killed in Gujarat in July 2009
Gujarat has enacted a new law making the illegal manufacture and sale of toxic alcohol punishable by death.