The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns Danes about methanol in drinks in countries that are less regulated than in Denmark – including countries in Southeast Asia.
This appears from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website, writes Ekstra Bladet.
– Methanol is very toxic, even in small amounts. You can become seriously ill or, in the worst case, lose your life. You cannot see or smell whether methanol has been added, warns the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
– Be very careful if you want to drink cocktails and other drinks with spirits. Avoid drinking alcohol that you suspect is home-brewed.
Recently, six foreign tourists have died in Laos. They are believed to have died after drinking alcohol poisoned with methanol.
These are two Danes, two Australians, an American and a Briton.
The deaths have taken place in the city of Vang Vieng, a popular stop for backpackers in Southeast Asia.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages you to check the labels and banners on spirit bottles, so that you can make sure that they are unbroken.
– Only buy your drinks at reputable places that have a license to sell alcohol, it says on the ministry’s website.
It also states that you must seek medical help immediately if you or someone you are with gets symptoms of poisoning – for example, in the case of visual disturbances.
Methanol is also known as wood alcohol and is an organic solvent.
If you ingest it, you may become unconscious and you may lose your vision. In the worst case, it can be fatal.
The liquid is sometimes added to alcoholic liquids because it is cheaper than ethanol, which is the alcohol typically found in spirits.
Methanol is colorless and has no particular smell. That’s why you typically don’t notice if it’s mixed in, for example, a drink.
/ritzau/
Source: www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk
