Everything About the Methanol Poisoning in Laos That is Known So Far

By
Champa Ha
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Six tourists have passed away in a spate of suspected methanol poisoning-related deaths in a Laos backpacking hotspot.

The latest death, of young Australian teenager Holly Bowles, 19, happened on Friday.

Bowles is the second Australian teenager to have passed away, after her friend Bianca Jones, also 19, had passed away on Thursday.

British lawyer Simone White, 28, from south-east London, was also confirmed to have died on Thursday. The other deaths include tourists from Denmark and the US.

They were a part of a group of tourists that became ill after going out on the town on 12 November 2024, according to British and Australian media.

The tourists were staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng, where they had drank at the hostel’s bar before they had gone out for the evening.

The Nana Backpacker Hostel had reportedly given out free shots to around 100 guests the evening before. The hostel’s manager had told news agency Associated Press that no other guests had fallen ill after consuming the shots.

He, along with a number of people, have been detained for questioning for the spate of deaths and poisonings.

Vang Vieng has, in the past, been associated with jungle parties and backpackers passing away due to lax safety standards. It has since been rebranded and known to backpackers travelling across Southeast Asia, with the Banana Pancake trail, a popular backpacking route spanning across four countries, located there.

Methanol in Bootleg Alcohol

As of the moment, alcohol tainted with methanol is suspected to be the cause of the deaths.

Methanol is a toxic alcohol that is commonly found in various industrial and household products such as antifreeze, photocopier fluids, de-icers, paint thinner, varnish and windshield wiper fluid.

Flavourless and colourless, methanol is often added to increase its strength in bootleg alcohol, but it can also cause blindness, liver damage and death. Not many can detect the symptoms of methanol poisoning straight away.

Thailand, neighbouring Laos, has seen at least six people die and seen more than 20 people hospitalised after drinking methanol-laced alcohol in August.

Southeast Asia has been known as the worst region for methanol poisoning, with local producers using methanol to make cheap alcohol but often not reducing the toxic level of methanol produced in the process. This is often an issue in poorer countries along the Mekong river.

Thousands of deaths are recorded every year in the region, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

However, despite warnings and posting about alcohol consumption in these places, there is still very little awareness raised. It doesn’t help that in countries like Laos, there is low law enforcement and nearly no regulation in food and beverage and hospitality industries.

Alcohol suppliers take this as an advantage and exploit the situation to make money.

Cheap alcohol is often a draw for these tourists, who are unlikely to turn down free shots of local vodkas. Nana Backpacker Hostel is one of many other hostels that host happy hours as a daily staple, as well as free shots of alcohol as a form of courtesy.

Australian officials have been calling for an open and transparent investigation into the cases from Laos, and many Western countries have updated their travel advisories on the region to warn tourists about the dangers of cheap, free alcohol.

They have also added that tourists should only consume pre-bottled alcohol purchased beforehand.

An outpouring of love has been published online for the many victims, including statements from ministers like Penny Wong, Australian Foreign Minister.

“I know tonight all Australians will be holding both families in our hearts,” Wong said. She said that Australia would continue efforts with Lao authorities to investigate the tragedy.

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Champa Ha