Can you tell fake alcohol from real? Why methanol is so hard to detect

As authorities investigate the deaths of six tourists in Laos, here's what Canadians need to know about recognizing and preventing methanol poisoning while travelling.

If you are soon travelling abroad, experts are urging vigilance after six tourists recently died, several of them from confirmed methanol poisoning — a nearly invisible killer that’s hard to spot in tainted alcohol.

Methanol is a clear, colourless alcohol used in all kinds of everyday products like industrial cleaners, solvents, paint, cosmetics and anti-freeze. While methanol itself is not harmful, it becomes deadly when consumed, explained Lewis Smith, manager of national projects at the Canada Safety Council.

“When the human body consumes methanol, it transforms it into two different types of chemical compounds in the body; it turns it into formaldehyde and then formic acid. To simplify it, methanol consumption causes the person’s blood to become acidic and that can become fatal very quickly,” he told Global News.

On Nov. 20, Canada issued a travel advisory after six tourists, mostly aged 19 to 20, died from suspected methanol poisoning in a popular backpacker town in northern Laos earlier this month.

“Several foreigners in Vang Vieng have been victims of suspected methanol-adulterated alcohol poisoning,” the warning read. “Be vigilant if you choose to drink alcohol. Avoid accepting free or extremely low-priced drinks. Only buy alcohol in sealed bottles and cans from reputable shops. Seek medical assistance if you begin to feel sick.”

The advisory comes after two Australian teenagers and a British woman died from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos. An American man and two Danes also died, though their exact causes of death have not been released. A New Zealander also has been sickened.

Methanol poisoning is a significant health issue in Asia, with outbreaks frequently reported in countries such as Indonesia, India, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines, according to Médecins Sans Frontières.

As authorities continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the six foreigners, here’s what Canadians need to know about methanol poisoning.