Doctors at Bali have sent out a warning to tourists against methanol contamination in cocktails in bars and pubs at this hot tourist destination.
The warning comes after a 19-year-old American traveler showed signs of methanol poisoning after drinking eight to 10 complimentary drinks at popular tourist bar in Denpasar, Bali.
Thirty-five hours after the party, the girl was in New Zealand complaining of shortness of breath and impaired vision. She was treated at Christchurch Hospital emergency department for methanol poisoning.
Christchurch Hospital emergency physicians Dr. Paul Gee and Dr. Elizabeth Martin told news.com.au they believed the girl had drunk something contaminated with methanol.
"Most patients complain of anxiety, headache, nausea, vomiting and weakness,'' the doctors said."Visual symptoms include blurred vision, spots, photophobia and partial to complete visual loss.''
The girl's drink is believed to have been a mixture of Arrack, a coconut flower rice and sugarcane spirit, and fruit juice. But the doctors are of the opinion that it was contaminated with methanol from local "moonshine" alcohol.
This is not the first time such an incident has taken place. A similar incident took place last year in which a 25-year-old Australian nurse suffered brain damage and kidney failure after drinking Arrack contaminated with methanol.
Methanol is a toxic substance found in fuel, solvents and anti-freeze products.
In 2009, 25 tourists had died after drinking a contaminated drink of Arrack in Bali. Arrack is a coconut flower, rice and sugarcane-based spirit which is produced commercially and illegally in Indonesia.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
