Tourists have been warned again about the dangers of drinking alcohol in Bali after a New Zealand man drank counterfeit alcohol at a popular establishment on the island and was poisoned by methanol. He convulsed in the toilet and almost died.
A New Zealand tourist was spending the night with his girlfriend and friends at what seemed to be a respectable establishment in Bali when his health took a turn for the worse. He had severe symptoms, including difficulty breathing, incoherent speech, and seizures.
The victim turned to attorney Colin Ahern for help, who identified it as a case of methanol poisoning.
“He was shaking in the toilet, almost in a fit. And he was completely bewildered when he returned. He is a big guy, weighs more than 100 kg,” said the defender.
Colin Ahern helped a tourist improve his condition, for example by suggesting the use of ethanol. He explained that duty-free spirits are considered the best option as they can counteract the effects of methanol. The tourist’s condition has since improved, and the methanol poisoning does not appear to have lasting effects.
However, methanol poisoning has been a serious problem in Bali for many years. Tourists are regularly poisoned, and some tragically die. According to statistics, counterfeit alcohol kills hundreds of Indonesians every year.
Methanol is a common by-product of distillation, but the savings from counterfeiting can leave the harmful chemical in alcoholic beverages. Meanwhile, 30 ml of methanol is enough to blind a person, and 60 to 90 ml can kill a victim of average height without proper treatment.
“The tax on genuine, legally imported alcohol in Bali is simply huge. Therefore, unscrupulous people often sell copies of well-known products based on flavored arak to try to make the taste similar to what you drink,” Colin Ahern explained.
The problem is that tourists often misunderstand their symptoms, attributing them to the “Balinese stomach” – a gastrointestinal disease caused by viruses in the water. Methanol poisoning can present with a variety of symptoms depending on the degree of exposure and the amount of methanol consumed. They usually include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, confusion, and headaches.
As poisoning progresses, people may experience blurred or loss of vision, rapid breathing, drowsiness, slurred speech, seizures, and in severe cases, even coma. Given the potentially life-threatening nature of methanol poisoning, immediate medical attention is needed.
This year, talk of methanol poisoning in Bali has been revived following the tragic death of Charlie John Bradley, a 28-year-old real estate agent from Sydney. The tourist was found dead on the road near a clinic in northern Kuta, south Bali, hours after leaving the Finns Beach Club. His family believes counterfeit drinks may have been the cause of his death.
The deceased’s sister, Beth Bradley, told Daily Mail Australia: “Charlie doesn’t drink beer – he’s addicted to hard liquor. There are a lot of methanol poisonings in Bali. It seems like the bars make their alcohol to save money.”