Your Shortcut to... Methanol poisoning

Last week, Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles died after drinking alcohol laced with methanol. They were among the 6 people who died from the same suspected mass poisoning in Laos, while others have become seriously ill. So in this Shortcut, we’ll look what’s known about what happened in Laos, what methanol poisoning is, and how prevalent it is around the world. Squiz Recommends Reading: This explainer from Medicins Sans Frontiers talks about the difference between ethanol (which is safe to drink) and methanol (which isn't). Bonus: there’s a helpful infographic that could save your life. Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories… Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here