Aussie teen dies in Bangkok after Laos poisoning, 4 dead

[snoop1130]

 

One of the Melbourne teenagers on an idyllic backpacking adventure in Asia has died in a Bangkok hospital from a suspected methanol poisoning incident in Laos.

 

Bianca Jones, a 19 year old Australian tourist, became the latest person to die from a suspected methanol poisoning incident in Laos after drinking vodka shots. The Aussie teen’s death is the fourth in just over a week, with police scrambling to investigate the deadly trend sweeping the town of Vang Vieng.

 

Jones’ family confirmed the tragic news today, November 21, just hours after the US State Department revealed an American man had also died in the same area. Meanwhile, two young Danish women, aged 19 and 20, met a similar fate last week, sparking fears that a batch of toxic, bootleg alcohol could be to blame.

 

Jones’ friend, 19 year old Holly Bowles, is currently in critical condition in Bangkok, along with a British woman, as both fight for their lives on life support.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his sorrow for the teenager’s death.

 

“Our first thoughts at this moment are with her family and friends who are grieving a terrible and cruel loss. This is every parent’s very worst fear and a nightmare that no one should have to endure.”

 

 

Jones and Bowles were reportedly staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, where the hostel manager told the Associated Press that over 100 guests were offered free shots of Lao vodka.

 

The manager said no other guests reported health issues but confirmed the hostel has now ceased giving out free alcohol amid the police investigation.

 

Australian and UK police have issued urgent warnings to travellers about the dangers of methanol poisoning in Laos, advising caution when consuming alcohol in the country.

 

Methanol, unlike ethanol found in standard alcoholic drinks, is highly toxic and often used by bootleggers to increase alcohol content cheaply but with lethal results.

 

In recent years, methanol poisonings have claimed lives across the globe, with mass deaths reported in India, the Philippines, and Peru, reported BBC News.

 

Jones’ family has requested privacy as they mourn, thanking supporters for the “overwhelming support, love, and prayers.”

 

By Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Photo courtesy of Herald Sun via Yahoo News

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2024-11-21

 

 

[Jessi]

R.i.P.

[ukrules]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

is highly toxic and often used by bootleggers to increase alcohol content cheaply

 

Nonsense. It's added by poisoners who want to kill people.

 

 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

23 minutes ago, ukrules said:

 

Nonsense. It's added by poisoners who want to kill people.

 

 

 

 

   I doubt very much that their intention was to deliberately kill people .

Why would they want to do that ?

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   I doubt very much that their intention was to deliberately kill people .

Why would they want to do that ?

 

Agreed....  its more likely the methanol was an accidental bi-product of a bootlegged booze production. 

 

This was obviously a tragic mistake - where bootleggers screwed up...   but the real issue is that so much bootlegged booze is allowed in the first place.

 

Its one of the reasons I get annoyed when I have a 'fake Whisky' etc..   which, based on experience is extremely common in the bars...

 

After a certain point I just can't drink any more bottled beer and fancy a Whisky instead - in good bars thats fine, but I'm not always in good bars - I'm out in 'other places' and want a Whisky, on ice.. (JW black).. then I taste it and realise its bootlegged fake Whisky...   and this annoys me as a few of these and the hangover will be worse.

 

 

I remember being in a bar and having a Gin&Tonic...  the taste was horrific... I asked for the Gin bottle, smelt it and it was Tequila !!!... they'd been decanting gin.. hopefully just the cheapest legitimate gin into the bottle and not bootlegged on an industrial level Gin...  but, this time they made a mistake and decanted the wrong clear liquid !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[georgegeorgia]

It's about time Australian PM Anthony " it ain't easy under Albanese" done something!! 

 

I have written him a email with 3 words 

"Anthony ,do something!!

[Sandboxer]

lol, morons

[richard_smith237]

Just now, Sandboxer said:

lol, morons

 

Is this what I think it is ??

 

I'm thinking you have 'called morons' at the people who are suffering and have died after accidentally consuming Methanol... 

 

... But, I must have misunderstood - because no one could possibly be such an outstandingly gargantuan ayhole to suggest such a thing...    Right Sandboxer ????  

[Sandboxer]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

But, I must have misunderstood -

Nope. you understood perfectly.

 

Aussies and Brits not really a shocker. The other ones a rare outlier.

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

This was obviously a tragic mistake - where bootleggers screwed up...   but the real issue is that so much bootlegged booze is allowed in the first place.

 

The article specifically states this :

"Methanol, unlike ethanol found in standard alcoholic drinks, is highly toxic and often used by bootleggers to increase alcohol content cheaply but with lethal results."

which implies it was added deliberately by someone and that this is a normal kind of thing for bootleggers to do. It's not.

Why would someone do this deliberately?

 

Well it's been done before by a government (10,000 dead from it) I might add, see here : https://slate.com/technology/2010/02/the-little-told-story-of-how-the-u-s-government-poisoned-alcohol-during-prohibition.html

[still kicking]

13 minutes ago, Sandboxer said:

Nope. you understood perfectly.

 

Aussies and Brits not really a shocker. The other ones a rare outlier.

What an insult 

[chickenslegs]

4 minutes ago, Sandboxer said:

Nope. you understood perfectly.

 

Aussies and Brits not really a shocker. The other ones a rare outlier.

Youngsters, just exploring the world and having fun, have been killed by someone who was just interested in making a few extra Kip.

 

But you think it's appropriate to label the victims as morons.

 

I'm guessing you don't have kids yourself, otherwise you might have some empathy for the bereaved parents.

[still kicking]

19 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Youngsters, just exploring the world and having fun, have been killed by someone who was just interested in making a few extra Kip.

 

But you think it's appropriate to label the victims as morons.

 

I'm guessing you don't have kids yourself, otherwise you might have some empathy for the bereaved parents.

Yes and the British victim was another youngster at the age of 28 

[richard_smith237]

35 minutes ago, Sandboxer said:

Nope. you understood perfectly.

 

Aussies and Brits not really a shocker. The other ones a rare outlier.

In the past few days on this forum I’ve witnessed some sick & crass comments made by broken & pitiful minds, the depravity of which takes some beating…

 

… Your comment serves one singular purpose - that is to out yourself as a wholly depraved, nasty, disgusting, abhorrent being with a broken, poisonous character…

You have surpassed the worst with the sheer nastiness of your comment.

 

[Patong2021]

And once again, the nasty old blowhards are out in full force to blame the victims.

Methanol is a common event in South Asia. This has been reported on and documented. For example, Giovanetti F. Methanol poisoning among travellers to Indonesia. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2013;11(3):190–193. doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2013.03.013.

Westerners who come from countries where  there is regulation and a degree of quality assurance do not appreciate that South Asia is the region where anything can go, and where alcohol that is dispensed from a name brand brand bottle can be bootleg counterfeit and deadly.

 

The extent of poisoning is intentionally suppressed as it would destroy the tourist trade in many regions.

 

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

Nonsense. It's added by poisoners who want to kill people.

The intent may not be to poison or to kill. Unfortunately, like all counterfeit products in Asia, the goal is to make a quick profit. The suppliers of the products have no care for product quality or assurance.

 

55 minutes ago, Sandboxer said:

lol, morons

 

That  comment is more appropriate for a judgemental person who ridicules without knowing the extent of the problem , nor the manner in which it occurs. The kids who were poisoned were typical of their age group. To call them morons , aside from being heartless and cruel says alot about you.

 

 

To all those criticizing the victims, why not look at your own local bars and see if you can determine if the liquor dispensed is  bonafide. Don't be so arrogant to  believe that some operators don't substitute counterfeit versions.I can think of one bar that had the same vodka bottle on its shelf for years. The owner would refill it from a plastic bottle.