Protect Yourself from Deadly Alcohol in Bali: A Tragic Reality

The poison in deadly alcohol is completely tasteless, making these dangerous drinks deceptively treacherous. Recent tourist deaths in Asia in 2024 have brought the issue back into focus. "It's sad and reopens old wounds," says Michaela Sandrik, whose boyfriend died from a mojito.

Methanol has no taste. If you ingest it—because a cynical bar owner has replaced the real spirit—you won't notice anything at first. But after a few hours, the body converts methanol into formic acid, which is incredibly toxic.

And it involves small amounts. Four milliliters can cause eye problems, and half a deciliter is a lethal dose.

Mikaela Lindholm still remembers every detail from 2011 when her brother Rasmuss Lindholm, 21, suffered methanol poisoning during a vacation in Bali, Indonesia.

"The strongest memory is when my dad called and told me my little brother is dead. That scream. And also when we were down in Bali. When you go to the morgue and see him. We were completely devastated," she says.

The following year, a 31-year-old Swede died on the island of Gili Trawangan off Bali after drinking a mojito with methanol. He was taken by horse cart to a doctor, but his life could not be saved. His girlfriend Michaela Sandrik criticizes the myth that only small, shady bars swap out alcohol.

"My boyfriend died from a drink at a well-known bar recommended by Lonely Planet," she says.

Last year, Laos experienced several new cases. Five young tourists died, two of them Danish, and eleven were hospitalized.

"It's sad and reopens old wounds. You know how those families feel," says Michaela Sandrik.

Difficult to Determine

After the Laos tragedy, methanol poisoning is once again a nightmare for backpackers in Asia. Local restaurateurs in Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia pay high extra taxes on alcohol. For imported spirits, about 85 kronor per liter is added, according to new rules effective 2024.

In other words: The deadly fraud is still profitable.

Some Swedish tourists traveling around Bali assume that larger bars are okay. Others have been seriously frightened by the tragedy. Freja Pedersen and Katrine Andersen, 20:

"We brought our own gin and vodka and mix our own drinks," they say.

The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning for Laos in November 2024. There are no warnings for Bali or other parts of Asia.

"The travel information on Sweden Abroad is tailored to a specific country and is continuously updated by the Swedish embassy in the country in question. There is no regional page that addresses general aspects to consider when traveling to, for example, Asia," explains the press office in an email to Expressen.

Johanna Grass Nordström, a senior physician at the Poison Information Center, recommends that all travelers remain vigilant.

"It's something that flares up now and then in different places," she says.

If you have ingested methanol, it is urgent to seek medical care.

"There are different antidotes. Regular alcohol is an antidote, which can buy time. But it needs to be done in a hospital. You can also remove the poison with dialysis.

"If you get care in time, it usually goes well."

The treacherous part is that methanol doesn't taste like anything.

"The only thing you might notice is that you become less intoxicated than with ethanol [regular alcohol]. This makes it very difficult and very unpleasant," says Johanna Nordström Grass.

Methanol Poisoning Can Happen Anywhere

In Sweden, poisoning is very rare, but it happens occasionally at different destinations.

"Methanol is not allowed anywhere, but accidents can happen everywhere. It's hard to say in which country the risk is greatest."

What is your advice to Swedish backpackers?

"I would be very careful about drinking anything I don't know where it comes from. Preferably that it's a bottle I recognize, see that they open the cap.

"If something is too cheap, then you might also want to be cautious. Happy hour occasions or free drinks. In most cases, of course, there's no danger. But I would avoid that."

Mikaela Lindholm, who lost her brother, believes that both authorities and everyone working in tourism should inform as much as possible.

"The symptoms, for example. Informing young people about what signs to look for. My brother had certain symptoms, but unfortunately, it was nothing that he or his friends really understood or noticed at the time," she says.