Toxic drinks kill tourists in Laos

Methanol causes death of six people - 16th December 2024

It’s thought that methanol’s caused the death of five women and one man in Laos. Those who died were from Australia, the UK, Denmark and the US. They all felt unwell after they’d had drinks from the Nana Backpacker Hostel bar in Vang Vieng.

Vang Vieng valley in central Laos is one of Southeast Asia’s go-to tourist destinations. Its many hostels, which need to attract business, frequently hand out inexpensive or free drinks to their guests. However, these drinks are sometimes added to, and methanol’s sometimes used to make them stronger.

Methanol’s used instead of a safer alcohol, ethanol, because it’s cheaper to produce. However, it’s highly toxic and is deadly if it gets into the human body. Police believe that this is what happened at the Nana Backpacker Hostel.

The hostel denies this, but it’s been closed for the police to investigate. 8 staff members have been arrested, as well as two Indian men and a woman from the Philippines.

In addition to the 6 deaths a further 6 people became extremely unwell, this could be due to a local brand of spirit. Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whiskey are made locally and the brewing process could have produced toxic levels of methanol. The sale of Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whiskey’s not allowed anymore in Laos.

The families of Australian backpacking friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles have started to raise money on a GoFundMe page. With this, they’re keen to educate others about the harmful effects of methanol. There’s also a warning about cocktails and homemade alcoholic drinks on Smartraveller, which is an Australian government website.