Blindness, coma, death....experts give warning
By Nicholas Jones
5:30 AM Monday Jan 7, 2013
Health experts say Kiwis travelling to Indonesia should pay close attention to the source of any alcohol they drink, and avoid jugs of pre-made liquor.
Dr Leo Schep, a toxicologist at the National Poisons Centre in Dunedin, said very little pure methanol was needed to have deadly results.
"All you need is half a millilitre per kilogram of body weight, so if you're 80kg, you need 40ml of pure methanol to have a potentially lethal dose."
Dr Schep said physical symptoms were similar to drunkenness and could appear vague at first.
If untreated, the poisoning could lead to rapid breathing, blindness, a coma and seizures which could lead to brain damage.
About one-third of serious poisoning victims suffered irreversible visual impairment, but victims' lives could be saved if they received medical treatment quickly. The antidote was ethanol, or alcohol, which acted as a blocking agent.
"If they are out drinking alcohol, they are administering the antidote at the same time...
...It's murder, says anguished grandfather as 19-year-old loses fight for life after drinking methanol at New Year party.
Liam Davies, 19, died six days after becoming ill in Indonesia and being airlifted to his family's adopted hometown of Perth. Photo / Facebook
A Kiwi teenager has died after drinking a methanol-laced drink while celebrating New Year in Indonesia - and his grandfather says the death is "murder, really".
Taranaki-born Liam Davies was on the island of Lombok with friends, and became ill on January 1.
After several days in a local hospital, he was flown to Perth for specialist treatment, but died yesterday.
Liam's death has sparked warnings from health experts for Kiwi travellers to be wary.
His grandfather, Terry..
