Ahead of the ban, the Australian government advised tourists visiting Laos not to drink select liquors, with two of those who died in the incident hailing from the nation
The Laos government has banned a brand of Vodka following a suspected mass poisoning incident that killed six tourists.
The tourists, among them a British national, died after drinking tainted alcohol shots at a backpackers’ hostel in Vang Vieng, a popular tourist town. The shots are suspected to have contained methanol, a deadly chemical sometimes used in bootlegged alcoholic drinks. Doses as low as 25ml can be lethal to humans.
In an advisory released today, national health authorities banned the sale and consumption of two liquors, Tiger Vodka and Tiger whisky, according to the Australian government. The two products were banned due to concerns about them “being a health risk” the travel advisory states.
The advisory says: “Lao authorities have issued an order prohibiting the sale and consumption of Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky due to their concerns about these products being a health risk. Australians should avoid consuming these products due to these serious safety concerns.”
The advisory adds that the six foreign nationals staying at the Laos resort were victims of “methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks”. Officials advised tourists: “Be alert to the potential risks particularly with spirit-based drinks including cocktails.” Australia’s is not the only government that has issued warnings over consuming alcohol in South East Asia, which has a longstanding problem with methanol poisoning.
The UK government, via the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued its own warning stating that people should avoid Tiger Vodka and Whisky alongside additional advice for specific alcohol types. The FCDO states: “There have been deaths and cases of serious illness caused by alcoholic drinks containing methanol.”
“Methanol has been used in the manufacture of counterfeit replicas of well-known alcohol brands or illegal local spirits, like vodka. You should take care if offered, particularly for free, or when buying spirit-based drinks. If labels, smell or taste seem wrong then do not drink.”
Additional affected drinks included in the advisory include:
- Local spirits, including local rice or palm liquor
- Spirit-based mixed drinks, such as cocktails
- Counterfeit brand-name bottled alcohol in shops or behind the bar
Two Australian teens, Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, were among those who died from alcohol poisoning. They were confirmed to have died earlier this month, just over a week after being transferred from a district hospital in Vang Vieng to the Lao capital Vientiane, and then onwards to a facility in Thailand.
One of the other victims was confirmed to have been 28-year-old Briton Simone White, a lawyer from London. The remaining three were American national James Louis Hutson, 57, and Danish nationals Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning include sleepiness, a reduced level of consciousness (CNS depression), confusion, headaches, dizziness, and difficulty coordinating muscle movements (ataxia). It can rapidly lead to serious illness, with long-term effects including coma and death.
