"It looked like TV screen noise"
A Canadian woman who was left blind after drinking counterfeit alcohol containing toxic methanol while traveling abroad has shared her experience as a warning to others.
According to the New York Post on August 10, Ashley King, a Canadian woman, visited southern Bali in 2011 as a backpacker. She recalled that she drank alcohol at an upscale bar and that “the night was no different from any other.” The next day, she experienced hangover symptoms but did not notice anything particularly unusual.
The first signs of trouble appeared after she left Bali. After arriving in New Zealand, she went to sleep at her hotel, but when she woke up, the room was completely dark?even though it was the middle of the day. The problem was with her eyes: she had lost her eyesight. At the same time, she began to experience difficulty breathing.
A blood test at the hospital revealed the presence of methanol. Her condition was so severe that medical staff said it was a miracle she had even regained consciousness.
King said, “Losing my eyesight is the hardest thing I have ever experienced,” and added, “I have to fight it every single day.”
Methanol is a colorless, flammable liquid. It is almost impossible to distinguish from ethanol?the main ingredient in regular alcoholic beverages?by smell or taste. However, it is extremely toxic to humans. Once methanol enters the body, it is converted into highly poisonous substances such as formaldehyde and formic acid. This process causes the blood to become dangerously acidic.
Early symptoms are similar to a typical hangover but may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, impaired judgment, and drowsiness. The situation can deteriorate rapidly within 12 to 24 hours after drinking. In some cases, symptoms may not appear until up to 72 hours later.
"It looks like TV screen noise"
Before (left) and after images of Canadian woman Ashley King, who lost her eyesight due to methanol poisoning in Bali, Indonesia, urging travelers to be cautious through social media (SNS). Instagram capture
Ultimately, the medical team attempted to filter toxins from her blood through dialysis and treated her eyes with steroids, but only about 2% of King’s vision was restored. She described her field of vision as “like snow falling or like TV screen noise.”
Similar incidents have occurred recently. In May of this year, 21 residents died and 10 were hospitalized after drinking moonshine made with methanol in a village in India.
In December of last year, two foreign tourists died after drinking alcohol containing methanol in Hoi An, Vietnam. In November of the same year, six people lost their lives for similar reasons in Vang Vieng, Laos.
In Thailand, four people died and 33 were hospitalized in June of last year after consuming illegally produced alcohol. Last month, the U.S. Embassy issued a warning after a methanol poisoning death related to locally produced alcohol occurred in Jordan.
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