CINXE.COM
SunLive - Methanol poisoning -'the worst outcome is death' - The Bay's News First
<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta name="description" content=""> <meta name="author" content=""> <title>SunLive - Methanol poisoning -'the worst outcome is death' - The Bay's News First</title> <link href="/assets/css/bootstrap/bootstrap.min.css?v=4.6" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/assets/css/all.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/assets/css/sunlive.css?v=24" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/assets/css/sweetalert2.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/assets/css/bxslider/jquery.bxslider.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link rel="icon" type="image/ico" href="/favicon.png?v=1"> <script src="/assets/js/jquery/jquery.min.js"></script> <script src="/assets/js/bootstrap/bootstrap.bundle.min.js?v=4.6"></script> <script src="/assets/js/framework.js?v=1"></script> <script src="/assets/js/sweetalert2.all.min.js"></script> <script src="/assets/js/bxslider/jquery.bxslider.min.js"></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='//platform-api.sharethis.com/js/sharethis.js#property=594b085a5c01e300120d3c03&product=inline-share-buttons' async='async'></script> <script async src="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js"></script> <script> window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_Skyscraper', [[160,600]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-1').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_Skins_Skins_Spark', [[1,1]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-2').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_Skins_EB', [[1,1]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-3').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_MREC_Mobile2', [[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-4').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_MREC_Mobile1', [[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-5').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_MREC_MidArticle', [[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-6').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_MREC_3', [[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-7').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_MREC_2', [[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-8').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_MREC_1', [[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-9').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_MobileBanner', [[300,50],[300,100],[320,50],[320,100]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-10').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_LeadBanner', [[728,90]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-11').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_ContentBanner2', [[468,60]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-12').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/83069739/Sunlive/Sunlive_NZ_ContentBanner1', [[468,60]], 'div-gpt-ad-2430518-13').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().setTargeting("pt", "article"); googletag.pubads().setTargeting('Key', ['news', 'Methanol poisoning -'the worst outcome is death'', '/news/355648-methanol-poisoning--the-worst-outcome-is-death.html']); googletag.pubads().enableVideoAds(); googletag.companionAds().setRefreshUnfilledSlots(true); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script> !function(){"use strict";function t(n){if(!n)throw new Error("No options passed to Waypoint constructor");if(!n.element)throw new Error("No element option passed to Waypoint constructor");if(!n.handler)throw new Error("No handler option passed to Waypoint constructor");this.key="waypoint-"+e,this.options=t.Adapter.extend({},t.defaults,n),this.element=this.options.element,this.adapter=new t.Adapter(this.element),this.callback=n.handler,this.axis=this.options.horizontal?"horizontal":"vertical",this.enabled=this.options.enabled,this.triggerPoint=null,this.group=t.Group.findOrCreate({name:this.options.group,axis:this.axis}),this.context=t.Context.findOrCreateByElement(this.options.context),t.offsetAliases[this.options.offset]&&(this.options.offset=t.offsetAliases[this.options.offset]),this.group.add(this),this.context.add(this),i[this.key]=this,e+=1}var e=0,i={};t.prototype.queueTrigger=function(t){this.group.queueTrigger(this,t)},t.prototype.trigger=function(t){this.enabled&&this.callback&&this.callback.apply(this,t)},t.prototype.destroy=function(){this.context.remove(this),this.group.remove(this),delete i[this.key]},t.prototype.disable=function(){return this.enabled=!1,this},t.prototype.enable=function(){return this.context.refresh(),this.enabled=!0,this},t.prototype.next=function(){return this.group.next(this)},t.prototype.previous=function(){return this.group.previous(this)},t.invokeAll=function(t){var e=[];for(var n in i)e.push(i[n]);for(var o=0,r=e.length;r>o;o++)e[o][t]()},t.destroyAll=function(){t.invokeAll("destroy")},t.disableAll=function(){t.invokeAll("disable")},t.enableAll=function(){t.Context.refreshAll();for(var e in i)i[e].enabled=!0;return this},t.refreshAll=function(){t.Context.refreshAll()},t.viewportHeight=function(){return window.innerHeight||document.documentElement.clientHeight},t.viewportWidth=function(){return document.documentElement.clientWidth},t.adapters=[],t.defaults={context:window,continuous:!0,enabled:!0,group:"default",horizontal:!1,offset:0},t.offsetAliases={"bottom-in-view":function(){return this.context.innerHeight()-this.adapter.outerHeight()},"right-in-view":function(){return this.context.innerWidth()-this.adapter.outerWidth()}},window.Waypoint=t}(),function(){"use strict";function t(t){window.setTimeout(t,1e3/60)}function e(t){this.element=t,this.Adapter=o.Adapter,this.adapter=new this.Adapter(t),this.key="waypoint-context-"+i,this.didScroll=!1,this.didResize=!1,this.oldScroll={x:this.adapter.scrollLeft(),y:this.adapter.scrollTop()},this.waypoints={vertical:{},horizontal:{}},t.waypointContextKey=this.key,n[t.waypointContextKey]=this,i+=1,o.windowContext||(o.windowContext=!0,o.windowContext=new e(window)),this.createThrottledScrollHandler(),this.createThrottledResizeHandler()}var i=0,n={},o=window.Waypoint,r=window.onload;e.prototype.add=function(t){var e=t.options.horizontal?"horizontal":"vertical";this.waypoints[e][t.key]=t,this.refresh()},e.prototype.checkEmpty=function(){var t=this.Adapter.isEmptyObject(this.waypoints.horizontal),e=this.Adapter.isEmptyObject(this.waypoints.vertical),i=this.element==this.element.window;t&&e&&!i&&(this.adapter.off(".waypoints"),delete n[this.key])},e.prototype.createThrottledResizeHandler=function(){function t(){e.handleResize(),e.didResize=!1}var e=this;this.adapter.on("resize.waypoints",function(){e.didResize||(e.didResize=!0,o.requestAnimationFrame(t))})},e.prototype.createThrottledScrollHandler=function(){function t(){e.handleScroll(),e.didScroll=!1}var e=this;this.adapter.on("scroll.waypoints",function(){(!e.didScroll||o.isTouch)&&(e.didScroll=!0,o.requestAnimationFrame(t))})},e.prototype.handleResize=function(){o.Context.refreshAll()},e.prototype.handleScroll=function(){var t={},e={horizontal:{newScroll:this.adapter.scrollLeft(),oldScroll:this.oldScroll.x,forward:"right",backward:"left"},vertical:{newScroll:this.adapter.scrollTop(),oldScroll:this.oldScroll.y,forward:"down",backward:"up"}};for(var i in e){var n=e[i],o=n.newScroll>n.oldScroll,r=o?n.forward:n.backward;for(var s in this.waypoints[i]){var l=this.waypoints[i][s];if(null!==l.triggerPoint){var a=n.oldScroll<l.triggerPoint,h=n.newScroll>=l.triggerPoint,p=a&&h,u=!a&&!h;(p||u)&&(l.queueTrigger(r),t[l.group.id]=l.group)}}}for(var d in t)t[d].flushTriggers();this.oldScroll={x:e.horizontal.newScroll,y:e.vertical.newScroll}},e.prototype.innerHeight=function(){return this.element==this.element.window?o.viewportHeight():this.adapter.innerHeight()},e.prototype.remove=function(t){delete this.waypoints[t.axis][t.key],this.checkEmpty()},e.prototype.innerWidth=function(){return this.element==this.element.window?o.viewportWidth():this.adapter.innerWidth()},e.prototype.destroy=function(){var t=[];for(var e in this.waypoints)for(var i in this.waypoints[e])t.push(this.waypoints[e][i]);for(var n=0,o=t.length;o>n;n++)t[n].destroy()},e.prototype.refresh=function(){var t,e=this.element==this.element.window,i=e?void 0:this.adapter.offset(),n={};this.handleScroll(),t={horizontal:{contextOffset:e?0:i.left,contextScroll:e?0:this.oldScroll.x,contextDimension:this.innerWidth(),oldScroll:this.oldScroll.x,forward:"right",backward:"left",offsetProp:"left"},vertical:{contextOffset:e?0:i.top,contextScroll:e?0:this.oldScroll.y,contextDimension:this.innerHeight(),oldScroll:this.oldScroll.y,forward:"down",backward:"up",offsetProp:"top"}};for(var r in t){var s=t[r];for(var l in this.waypoints[r]){var a,h,p,u,d,f=this.waypoints[r][l],c=f.options.offset,w=f.triggerPoint,y=0,g=null==w;f.element!==f.element.window&&(y=f.adapter.offset()[s.offsetProp]),"function"==typeof c?c=c.apply(f):"string"==typeof c&&(c=parseFloat(c),f.options.offset.indexOf("%")>-1&&(c=Math.ceil(s.contextDimension*c/100))),a=s.contextScroll-s.contextOffset,f.triggerPoint=Math.floor(y+a-c),h=w<s.oldScroll,p=f.triggerPoint>=s.oldScroll,u=h&&p,d=!h&&!p,!g&&u?(f.queueTrigger(s.backward),n[f.group.id]=f.group):!g&&d?(f.queueTrigger(s.forward),n[f.group.id]=f.group):g&&s.oldScroll>=f.triggerPoint&&(f.queueTrigger(s.forward),n[f.group.id]=f.group)}}return o.requestAnimationFrame(function(){for(var t in n)n[t].flushTriggers()}),this},e.findOrCreateByElement=function(t){return e.findByElement(t)||new e(t)},e.refreshAll=function(){for(var t in n)n[t].refresh()},e.findByElement=function(t){return n[t.waypointContextKey]},window.onload=function(){r&&r(),e.refreshAll()},o.requestAnimationFrame=function(e){var i=window.requestAnimationFrame||window.mozRequestAnimationFrame||window.webkitRequestAnimationFrame||t;i.call(window,e)},o.Context=e}(),function(){"use strict";function t(t,e){return t.triggerPoint-e.triggerPoint}function e(t,e){return e.triggerPoint-t.triggerPoint}function i(t){this.name=t.name,this.axis=t.axis,this.id=this.name+"-"+this.axis,this.waypoints=[],this.clearTriggerQueues(),n[this.axis][this.name]=this}var n={vertical:{},horizontal:{}},o=window.Waypoint;i.prototype.add=function(t){this.waypoints.push(t)},i.prototype.clearTriggerQueues=function(){this.triggerQueues={up:[],down:[],left:[],right:[]}},i.prototype.flushTriggers=function(){for(var i in this.triggerQueues){var n=this.triggerQueues[i],o="up"===i||"left"===i;n.sort(o?e:t);for(var r=0,s=n.length;s>r;r+=1){var l=n[r];(l.options.continuous||r===n.length-1)&&l.trigger([i])}}this.clearTriggerQueues()},i.prototype.next=function(e){this.waypoints.sort(t);var i=o.Adapter.inArray(e,this.waypoints),n=i===this.waypoints.length-1;return n?null:this.waypoints[i+1]},i.prototype.previous=function(e){this.waypoints.sort(t);var i=o.Adapter.inArray(e,this.waypoints);return i?this.waypoints[i-1]:null},i.prototype.queueTrigger=function(t,e){this.triggerQueues[e].push(t)},i.prototype.remove=function(t){var e=o.Adapter.inArray(t,this.waypoints);e>-1&&this.waypoints.splice(e,1)},i.prototype.first=function(){return this.waypoints[0]},i.prototype.last=function(){return this.waypoints[this.waypoints.length-1]},i.findOrCreate=function(t){return n[t.axis][t.name]||new i(t)},o.Group=i}(),function(){"use strict";function t(t){return t===t.window}function e(e){return t(e)?e:e.defaultView}function i(t){this.element=t,this.handlers={}}var n=window.Waypoint;i.prototype.innerHeight=function(){var e=t(this.element);return e?this.element.innerHeight:this.element.clientHeight},i.prototype.innerWidth=function(){var e=t(this.element);return e?this.element.innerWidth:this.element.clientWidth},i.prototype.off=function(t,e){function i(t,e,i){for(var n=0,o=e.length-1;o>n;n++){var r=e[n];i&&i!==r||t.removeEventListener(r)}}var n=t.split("."),o=n[0],r=n[1],s=this.element;if(r&&this.handlers[r]&&o)i(s,this.handlers[r][o],e),this.handlers[r][o]=[];else if(o)for(var l in this.handlers)i(s,this.handlers[l][o]||[],e),this.handlers[l][o]=[];else if(r&&this.handlers[r]){for(var a in this.handlers[r])i(s,this.handlers[r][a],e);this.handlers[r]={}}},i.prototype.offset=function(){if(!this.element.ownerDocument)return null;var t=this.element.ownerDocument.documentElement,i=e(this.element.ownerDocument),n={top:0,left:0};return this.element.getBoundingClientRect&&(n=this.element.getBoundingClientRect()),{top:n.top+i.pageYOffset-t.clientTop,left:n.left+i.pageXOffset-t.clientLeft}},i.prototype.on=function(t,e){var i=t.split("."),n=i[0],o=i[1]||"__default",r=this.handlers[o]=this.handlers[o]||{},s=r[n]=r[n]||[];s.push(e),this.element.addEventListener(n,e)},i.prototype.outerHeight=function(e){var i,n=this.innerHeight();return e&&!t(this.element)&&(i=window.getComputedStyle(this.element),n+=parseInt(i.marginTop,10),n+=parseInt(i.marginBottom,10)),n},i.prototype.outerWidth=function(e){var i,n=this.innerWidth();return e&&!t(this.element)&&(i=window.getComputedStyle(this.element),n+=parseInt(i.marginLeft,10),n+=parseInt(i.marginRight,10)),n},i.prototype.scrollLeft=function(){var t=e(this.element);return t?t.pageXOffset:this.element.scrollLeft},i.prototype.scrollTop=function(){var t=e(this.element);return t?t.pageYOffset:this.element.scrollTop},i.extend=function(){function t(t,e){if("object"==typeof t&&"object"==typeof e)for(var i in e)e.hasOwnProperty(i)&&(t[i]=e[i]);return t}for(var e=Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments),i=1,n=e.length;n>i;i++)t(e[0],e[i]);return e[0]},i.inArray=function(t,e,i){return null==e?-1:e.indexOf(t,i)},i.isEmptyObject=function(t){for(var e in t)return!1;return!0},n.adapters.push({name:"noframework",Adapter:i}),n.Adapter=i}(); </script> <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-KMPWYT6VG0"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-KMPWYT6VG0'); function GridAD(sc,po) { $.post('/adserve/fetch',{sc,po}).done(function(response) { GridHandler(response); }); } </script> </script> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn.sunlive.co.nz/images/sunlive//Stock-spirits-photo-001.jpg"> <meta property="og:description" content="Methanol poisoning -'the worst outcome is death'"> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2024-11-24T11:00:00+13:00"> </head> <body onload="startTime();"> <div id="blackout"></div> <div id="page"></div> <div id="pp-banner"></div> <div class="container" style="background-color: #eee; padding:10px 35px 0px 35px;"> <div id="lclk" style="width: 0px; height: 0px; position: absolute;"></div> <div id="rclk" style="width: 0px; height: 0px; position: absolute;"></div> <nav class="row navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-dark bg-dark fixed-top" style="height: 40px;"> <div class="container" width="100%"> <a class="navbar-brand"><img src="/assets/images/sunmedialogo-sm.png" width=60% /></a> <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarResponsive" aria-controls="navbarResponsive" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation"> <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span> </button> <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarResponsive" style="background-color: #333;"> <a href="/register.html" class="top-button">JOIN FREE</a> <button type="button" class="top-button" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#loginModal"> LOGIN </button> <ul class="navbar-nav ml-auto"> <li class="nav-item active"> <a class="nav-link" href="https://www.sunlive.co.nz" target="_blank">SunLive <span class="sr-only">(current)</span> </a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="https://www.rotoruanow.co.nz" target="_blank">Rotorua Now</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="https://www.theweekendsun.co.nz" target="_blank">The Weekend Sun</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="https://www.coastandcountrynews.co.nz" target="_blank">Coast & Country News</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="https://www.buzzworthy.co.nz" target="_blank">Buzzworthy</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <div class="row"> <div class="lead-logo row"> <div class="col-2" style="margin-top:15px; margin-bottom:15px;" > <a href="/"><img src="/assets/images/sunlive-logo.png" alt="SunLive - The Bay's news first" title="SunLive - The Bay's news first" style="max-width: 250px;" border="0" /></a> </div> <div class="col-lg-2 col-md-0"> </div> <!-- Lead Banner --> <div class="col-lg-8 col-sm-12" style="margin-top:15px; margin-bottom:15px;" id="ld-bnr"> <script> if (screen && screen.width > 767) { GridAD('dt','ld-bnr'); } else { GridAD('mb','ld-bnr'); } </script> </div> <!-- /.Lead Banner --> </div> </div> <!-- time & social banner --> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-12 col-lg-12" style="background-color: #e5e5e5; margin: 0px 0px 10px 0px"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-6 col-sm-12" id="txt" style="font-size: 10px; padding: 5px 0px 0px 7px"> </div> <div class="col-l ml-auto"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sunlivebop/" target="_blank"><img src="/assets/images/icon-facebook.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sunlivenews/" target="_blank"><img src="/assets/images/icon-instagram.png" /></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SunLive_NZ" target="_blank"><img src="/assets/images/icon-twitter.png" /></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- /.time & social banner --> <!-- Navigation SunLive --> <nav class="row navbar-sunlive navbar-expand-md navbar-light bg-light" style="padding: 0px;"> <div class="col-lg-12" style="padding: 0px; background-color: #fff;"> <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarResponsive2" aria-controls="navbarResponsive" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation"> <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span> </button> <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarResponsive2" style="padding: 0px"> <ul class="navbar-nav nav-fill w-100" style="font-size: 14px; text-transform: uppercase; padding: 0px" > <li class="nav-item active"> <a class="nav-link" href="/" style="color: #333; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 3px 0px; border-right-color: #ddd; border-bottom-color: #aaa; padding-right:0px; padding-left: 0px;"><img src="/assets/images/icon-home.png"> <span class="sr-only">(current)</span> </a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" href="#" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 3px 0px; border-right-color: #ddd; border-bottom-color: #1977c6;">News</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu"> <li><a href="/news/1_1_news.html">Local News</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_50_traffic-&-crashes.html">Traffic & Crashes</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_40_local-elections.html">Elections</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_53_weather.html">Weather</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_2_politics.html">Politics</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_3_council.html">Council</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_4_business-and-markets.html">Business & Markets</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_5_health.html">Health</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_60_coronavirus.html">Coronavirus</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_6_environment.html">Environment</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_7_motoring.html">Motoring</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_8_marine.html">Marine</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_9_technology.html">Technology</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_10_property.html">Property</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_11_rural.html">Rural</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_15_education.html">Education</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_37_crime.html">Crime</a></li> <li><a href="/news/1_39_entertainment.html">Entertainment</a></li> <li><a href="/news/6_34_funeral-notices.html">Funeral Notices</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" href="/news/1_50_traffic-&-crashes.html" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 3px 0px; border-right-color: #ddd; border-bottom-color: #20d7ea;">Traffic & Crashes</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" href="/news/1_12_city-life.html" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 3px 0px; border-right-color: #ddd; border-bottom-color: #ffa702;">City Life</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" href="/news/1_11_rural.html" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 3px 0px; border-right-color: #ddd; border-bottom-color: #6dc234;">Rural</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" href="#" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 3px 0px; border-right-color: #ddd; border-bottom-color: #e65139;">Sport</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu"> <li><a href="/news/1_43_sport.html">Sports News</a></li> <li><a href="/sports-events.html">Sports Events</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" href="#" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 3px 0px; border-right-color: #ddd; border-bottom-color: #9c50d1;">Lifestyle</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu"> <li><a href="/competitions.html">Competitions</a></li> <li><a href="/gig-guide.html">Gig Guide</a></li> <li><a href="/horoscopes.html">Horoscopes</a></li> <li><a href="/news/3_23_music.html">Music</a></li> <li><a href="/whats-on.html">What's On</a></li> <li><a href="/videos/index.html">Video</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" href="/news/6_34_funeral-notices.html" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 3px 0px; border-right-color: #ddd; border-bottom-color: #777;">Funeral Notices</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" href="/blogs/index.html" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 3px 0px; border-right-color: #ddd; border-bottom-color: #777;">Blogs</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" href="/contact-us.html" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 3px 0px; border-right-color: #ddd; border-bottom-color: #aaa;">Contact</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" href="#search" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 3px 0px; border-bottom-color: #aaa; padding-right:0px; padding-left: 0px;"><img src="/assets/images/icon-search.png" height=18px></a> <div class="dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-right" style="width:305px;padding:0;" aria-labelledby="search-dd-l"> <div class="dropdown-item"> <div class="input-group stylish-input-group"> <form action="/searchresults.html" method="GET" style="display:inline-flex;"> <input type="text" name="search" class="form-control" placeholder="Search" > <span class="input-group-addon"> <button class="btn" type="submit"> <img src="/assets/images/icon-search.png" height="18px" style="padding: 2px"> </button> </span> </form> </div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <!-- /.Navigation SunLive --> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-8 col-md-12 col-sm-12"> <div class="generic-content row" style="margin-top: 16px;"> <div class="col-12" style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"> <div class="row" id="cbt-ad" style="padding: 15px;"> <script> if (screen && screen.width > 767) { GridAD('dt','cbt-ad'); } else { GridAD('mb','cbt-ad'); } </script> </div> <!--breadcrumb--> <div class="row navblock"> <div class="col-8"> <p> Posted: 11:00am Sun 24 Nov, 2024 <div class="pp-donate-button"></div> </p> </div> <div class="col-4" id="sharethis"> <div class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons"></div> </div> </div> <!--Details--> <div class="details"> <h2>Methanol poisoning -'the worst outcome is death'</h2> <figure><img src="https://cdn.sunlive.co.nz/images/sunlive//Stock-spirits-photo-001.jpg" width="100%"></figure> <p><i>Cocktails and mixed drinks may contain methanol in some foreign bars due to lax standards, a toxicologist says. Photo: Supplied.</i></p> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="col-3 sky-ad" id="sky-ad"> <script> if (screen && screen.width > 767) { GridAD('dt','sky-ad'); } </script> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-sm-12 article-content" style="display: inline-block; overflow: hidden;"> <p><p><strong>Poor alcohol production and cost-cutting can lead to methanol poisoning, but drinking legitimate alcohol is a way to slow the effects until help can be sought, a toxicologist said.</strong></p><p><strong>Five people have reportedly died of poisoning in Laos. A New Zealander <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/534502/fifth-person-dies-after-suspected-methanol-poisoning-in-laos" rel="noopenernoreferrer" target="_blank">who is unwell may also be a victim</a>, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said.</strong></p><p>Dr Paul Gee, an emergency specialist and toxicologist, told Midday Report that unfortunately, methanol poisoning is not rare in many countries.</p><p>"It actually happens all over the world," he said.</p><p>"Methanol can get into drinks in bars because it's a by-product of backyard fermentation, so in the normal industrial production of ethanol, drinking alcohol, methanol is actually removed.</p><p>"But in this case poor production procedures or lax standards have ended up with methanol in alcohol for consumption."</p><p>Dr Gee has treated patients with methanol poisoning before.</p><p>"As we've heard with the cases recently, the worst outcome is death.</p><p>"We had a patient several years ago, a tourist who was from Bali and had been drinking and got on a plane to come to Christchurch.</p><p>"As soon as she hit Christchurch she started to feel unwell. She had racing heart, vision was starting to go, so she came up to the hospital to be treated.</p><p>"She ended up in intensive care very close to death, and has been left permanently blind, which is a very sad outcome for her."</p><p>Monash University's department of forensic medicine Professor David Ranson told Checkpoint that "this is a very tragic story".</p><p>The acid that forms with methanol is what caused the most harm, he said.</p><p>"It's the formic acid that causes so many problems, so this is an agent that actually kills cells and as a result it causes really quite significant damage to the body."</p><p>"Quite often it takes a day or so for these symptoms to come on, particularly if the source of the methanol has been essentially combined with ethanol."</p><p>A lethal dose could be quite small, Ranson said.</p><p>"It depends on the amount that's in the drink, actually it's a surprisingly a small amount.</p><p>"Even 20-30mls can be really quite dangerous and in some people that could be fatal.</p><p>"In fact quite often people finish up having more than that, simply because if they're having several drinks that are all contaminated, it all adds up."</p><div style="margin-top:15px; margin-bottom:15px; text-align: center;" id="ma-mrec"> <script> if (screen && screen.width > 767) { GridAD('dt','ma-mrec'); } else { GridAD('mb','ma-mrec'); } </script> </div><p>If someone thinks they have ingested methanol, they should get help immediately, Dr Gee said.</p><p>"If you are in a foreign country you basically should be aware of where you can get help.</p><p>"But one of the first aid things that you can do is get some legitimate alcohol - so, legal alcohol without methanol - can actually stop the production of acid temporarily and buy you time until you can get to a hospital where they've got dialysis in intensive care."</p><p>Much of the time methanol is introduced as a cost-cutting measure, Dr Gee said.</p><p>"The most likely way that a tourist is likely to get methanol mixed in with their drinks is if they have a cocktail for a mixed drink in a bar in one of these countries.</p><p>"In those countries bars often substitute commercially produced alcohol for bootleg alcohol because it's cheaper."</p><p>At first, a methanol high might seem like the usual booze effect, but it can quickly turn.</p><p>"When the body ingests methanol, it initially thinks it's like ethanol, you'll feel intoxicated, perhaps slightly high, but as the body converts the methanol into an acid you'll get increasingly unwell."</p><p>Ranson said there are remedies that can help if they are given in time for methanol poisoning.</p><p>"There are some treatments specifically designed to block the enzyme in the body, so that the methanol will not get broken down and cause these nasty agents to be produced.</p><p>"And if you can do that fairly early on you can keep the level of these nasty chemicals down, and people will then have a much better chance of survival."</p><p>Ranson said the most important thing if you suspect methanol poisoning is, "you have to get to hospital right away."</p><p>Checkpoint spoke to the New Zealand Drug Foundation and its principal science adviser said there are no off the shelf rapid tests for methanol in drinks.</p><p>The foundation's advice is to only drink canned or bottled drinks with a seal when travelling in Southeast Asia.</p></p> <div class="row" id="cbt2-ad" style="padding: 15px;"> <script> if (screen && screen.width > 767) { GridAD('dt','cbt2-ad'); } else { GridAD('mb','cbt2-ad'); } </script> </div> </div> </div> <!--breadcrumb--> <div class="navblock row"> <div class="social-link" id="sharethis"> <div class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons"></div> </div> </div> <!--Comment-box--> <section class="comment-box"> <!--Comment-Area--> <div class="comment-area"> <div class="title"><h1>0 comments</h1></div> </div> <!--Comment-Form--> <div class="comment-form"> <div class="title"> <h1>Leave a Comment</h1> </div> <br/> You must be logged in to make a comment. <button type="button" class="btn-sm" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#loginModal"> LOGIN </button> <script type="text/javascript"> var wdcnt; function wordcount(count) { document.getElementById('comment').value = count; var words = count.split(/\s/); if(document.getElementById('comment').value=="") { wdcnt = 0; } else { wdcnt = words.length; if(wdcnt>=150) { dcmt = document.getElementById('comment'); dcmt.value = dcmt.value.substring(0, count.length-1); } } var counter = document.getElementById('wordcount'); counter.innerHTML = wdcnt; return wdcnt; } function postComment() { $.post('/news/postcomment',$('#commentForm').serialize()).done(function(response) { GridHandler(response); }); } </script> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <!-- Sidebar --> <div class="sidebar col-4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 10px;"> <!--this is the div enclosing the whole side bar--> <!-- MREC1 --> <div class="card" style="background-color: #fff; padding: 0px; margin-top: 15px;"> <div class="advert" id="mrec-1"> <script> if (screen && screen.width > 767) { GridAD('dt','mrec-1'); } </script> </div> </div> <!-- /.MREC1 --> <!-- Latest News --> <div class="card"> <ul class="nav nav-tabs"> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link active" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 15px;" href="#"><h4>LATEST NEWS</h4></a> </li> </ul> <div class="container"> <!--SIDEBAR LATEST--> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 16:00</p> <h5><a href="/news/355555-critical-milestones-in-earthquake-buildings-review.html">Critical milestones in earthquake buildings review</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 14:30</p> <h5><a href="/news/355687-celebrations-underway-at-tauranga-diwali-festival.html">Celebrations underway at Tauranga Diwali Festival</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 14:00</p> <h5><a href="/news/355558-national-honours-for-sh5-campaign.html">National honours for SH5 campaign</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 13:00</p> <h5><a href="/news/355630-rotorua-teen-prostitution-ring--5-men-customers.html">Rotorua teen prostitution ring: 5 men customers</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 12:00</p> <h5><a href="/news/355633-beloved-katikati-college-teacher-gaylia-bundle.html">Beloved Katikati College teacher Gaylia Bundle</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 11:00</p> <h5><a href="/news/355648-methanol-poisoning--the-worst-outcome-is-death.html">Methanol poisoning -'the worst outcome is death'</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 10:00</p> <h5><a href="/news/355639-police-continue-enforcement-of-gang-laws.html">Police continue enforcement of gang laws</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 09:00</p> <h5><a href="/news/355624-rest-home-found-in-breach-of-care-standard.html">Rest home found in breach of care standard</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 08:00</p> <h5><a href="/news/355645-nz-freestyle-scooters-soar-to-inspire-teens.html">NZ freestyle scooters soar to inspire teens</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 07:45</p> <h5><a href="/news/355669-one-critically-injured-following-disorder.html">One critically injured following disorder</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 07:30</p> <h5><a href="/news/355654-kiwi-kids-invited-to-make-airnz-safety-video.html">Kiwi kids invited to make AIrNZ safety video</a></h5> <p style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #999;">24-Nov 07:15</p> <h5><a href="/news/355666-two-fatal-crashes-in-bop-and-waikato-.html">Two fatal crashes in BOP and Waikato </a></h5> <div class="pp-donate-button"></div> </div> </div> <!-- /.Latest News --> <!-- MREC2 --> <div class="container card" style="background-color: #fff; padding: 8px; margin-top: 15px;"> <div class="advert" id="mrec-2"> <script> if (screen && screen.width > 767) { GridAD('dt','mrec-2'); } </script> </div> </div> <!-- /.MREC2 --> <!-- Brians Nav --> <div class="col-12" style="margin: 20px 0px;"> <div class="row"> <div class="brians-nav w-49"> <h6><a href="/weather-and-tides.html">Weather & Tides</a></h6> </div> <div class="brians-nav w-49"> <h6><a href="/whats-on.html">What's On</a></h6> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="brians-nav w-49"> <h6><a href="/news/6_34_funeral-notices.html">Funeral Notices</a></h6> </div> <div class="brians-nav w-49"> <h6><a href="/news/4_28_letters-to-the-editor.html">Letters</a></h6> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="brians-nav w-49"> <h6><a href="/job-search.html">Job Search</a></h6> </div> <div class="brians-nav w-49"> <h6><a href="/blogs/index.html">Blogs</a></h6> </div> </div> </div> <!-- /. Brians Nav --> <!--ONEROOF--> <div class="card container" style="padding: 0px 10px"> <div class="container" style="height: 320px; background-color: #fff; margin: 20px 0px;"> <iframe id="Regionals_OneRoof" src="https://www.oneroof.co.nz/premium-property3?carousel=81" width="300" height="320" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div> </div> <!--/. ONEROOF--> <!--Competitions--> <div class="card container" style="padding: 0px 10px"> <h3>COMPETITIONS</h3> <hr style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: #f77937; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <div class="container" style="height: 150px; background-color: #eee; margin-bottom: 20px"> <p><a href="/competitions.html"><img src="/assets/images/competitions.jpg" border="0"></a></p> </div> </div> <!--/. Competitions--> <!-- MREC3 --> <div class="container card" style="background-color: #fff; padding: 8px; margin-top: 15px;"> <div class="advert" id="mrec-3"> <script> if (screen && screen.width > 767) { GridAD('dt','mrec-3'); } </script> </div> </div> <!-- /.MREC3 --> <!--Opinion Poll--> <div class="card container" style="padding: 0px 20px; margin: 20px 0px;"> <h3>OPINION POLL</h3> <hr style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: #f77937; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <div class="panel-body" style="padding-bottom: 20px;"> <p class="poll"><h4>Where do you get your news from most?</h4></p> <span id="pollArea"> <form name="pollForm" id="pollForm" autocomplete="off" onSubmit="return false;"> <input type="hidden" name="pid" value="1444"> <table style="width: 280px; margin-bottom: 5px;"> <tr><td valign="top"><input type="radio" name="pollanswer" id="answer_1" value="1" style="margin: 5px 5px 0px 0px;"></td><td>Newspaper</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom:1px solid #eeeded;"></td></tr><tr><td valign="top"><input type="radio" name="pollanswer" id="answer_2" value="2" style="margin: 5px 5px 0px 0px;"></td><td>News websites</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom:1px solid #eeeded;"></td></tr><tr><td valign="top"><input type="radio" name="pollanswer" id="answer_3" value="3" style="margin: 5px 5px 0px 0px;"></td><td>Social media</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom:1px solid #eeeded;"></td></tr><tr><td valign="top"><input type="radio" name="pollanswer" id="answer_4" value="4" style="margin: 5px 5px 0px 0px;"></td><td>Other</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom:1px solid #eeeded;"></td></tr> </table> </form> <br/> <button class="poll-button" onClick="voteInPoll();">VOTE</button> </span> <button class="poll-button" onClick="document.location.href='/pollresults.html';">VIEW RESULTS</button> </div> </div> <!--/. Opinion Poll--> </div> <!-- /.Sidebar --> </div> <br/> </div> <!-- Footer --> <footer class="py-5 bg-dark"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-12" style="text-align: center; padding: 0; margin: 0;"> <div class="pp-donate-button"></div> <li class="footer-nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="/news/1_1_news.html">Local</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="/news/1_50-traffic-and-crashes.html">Traffic & Crashes</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="/news/2_sport.html">Sport</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="/news/3_lifestyle.html">Lifestyle</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="/news/1_3_council.html">Council</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="/blogs/index.html">Blogs</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="/contact-us.html">Contact</a> </li> </div> </div> <hr style="border-color: #fff" /> <div class="row"> <div class="col-6" style="text-align: left;"> <p style="color: #eee">Copyright © Sun Media Ltd 2024. <br>SunLive - a Sun Media Publication</p> </div> <div class="col-6" style="text-align: right; padding-right: 10px"> <p><a href="#top" style="color: #eee">Back to top</a></p> </div> </div> </div> </footer> <div class="modal fade" id="loginModal" tabindex="-1" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="loginModalLabel" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="modal-dialog" role="document"> <div class="modal-content"> <div class="modal-header"> <h5 class="modal-title" id="loginModalLabel">Log In</h5> <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-label="Close"> <span aria-hidden="true">×</span> </button> </div> <div class="modal-body"> <form name="loginForm" id="loginForm" autocomplete="off" onSubmit="return false;"> <div class="form-group"><label>Email:</label><input type="text" name="email" class="form-control"></div> <div class="form-group"><label>Password:</label><input type="password" name="password" class="form-control"></div> </form> </div> <div class="modal-footer"> <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary" data-dismiss="modal">Cancel</button> <button type="button" class="btn btn-warning" onClick="goLogin();">Login</button> <div class="row"> <div class="col-12" style="font-size: 11px;"> Not registered? <a class="link" href="/register.html">Register Now</a> | Forgot Password? <a class="link" href="/forgot-password.html">Reset It Now</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> function goLogin(){ $.post('/login',$('#loginForm').serialize()).done(function(response) { GridHandler(response); }); } </script> <script> function startTime() { var today = new Date(); var h = today.getHours(); var m = today.getMinutes(); var s = today.getSeconds(); var day = today.getDay(); var d = today.getDate(); var mo = today.getMonth(); var y = today.getFullYear(); var months = ["January", "February", "March", "April", "May", "June", "July", "August", "September", "October", "November", "December"]; var days = ["Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday"]; m = checkTime(m); s = checkTime(s); document.getElementById('txt').innerHTML = h + ":" + m + ":" + s + " " + days[today.getDay()] + " " + d + " " + months[today.getMonth()] + " " + y var t = setTimeout(startTime, 500); } function checkTime(i) { if (i < 10) {i = "0" + i}; // add zero in front of numbers < 10 return i; } function resizeMe() { if($(window).width()<770) { var asp = document.getElementById('tas'); if(asp!=null) { var b = document.getElementById('tas'); b.parentNode.removeChild(b) } } } function voteInPoll() { $.post('/poll/vote',$('#pollForm').serialize()).done(function(response) { GridHandler(response); }); } </script> <script type="text/javascript"> $(document).ready(function() { $('#goodwork .goodwork').bxSlider({ auto:true, pause: 8000, mode:'fade', pager: false, speed:1000, autoHover: true, touchEnabled: true, controls: false }); }); </script> <script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-10384727-1', 'sunlive.co.nz'); ga('require', 'displayfeatures'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script> <script> function flipCard() { var card1 = document.querySelector('.adx1'); var card2 = document.querySelector('.adx2'); card1.classList.toggle('is-flipped'); card2.classList.toggle('is-flipped'); setTimeout("flipCard()",10000); } 'use strict'; if (typeof Map === 'function') { //setTimeout("flipCard()",10000); } </script> <script type="text/JavaScript"> !function(t,n){t[n]=t[n]|| { nlsQ:function(e,o,c,r,s,i) { return s=t.document, r=s.createElement("script"), r.async=1, r.src=("http:"===t.location.protocol?"http:":"https:")+"//cdn-gl.imrworldwide.com/conf/"+e+".js#name="+o+"&ns="+n, i=s.getElementsByTagName("script")[0], i.parentNode.insertBefore(r,i), t[n][o]=t[n][o]||{g:c||{}, ggPM:function(e,c,r,s,i){(t[n][o].q=t[n][o].q||[]).push([e,c,r,s,i])} }, t[n][o] } } } (window,"NOLBUNDLE"); </script> <script type="text/JavaScript"> var nSdkInstance = NOLBUNDLE.nlsQ("P97CD5BD2-E63D-407B-9B8C-4EA4DDDD7765","SunLive"); </script> <!-- START Nielsen Online SiteCensus V6.0 --> <!-- COPYRIGHT 2012 Nielsen Online --> <script type="text/javascript" src="//secure-gl.imrworldwide.com/v60.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pvar = { cid: "nz-sunmedia", content: "0", server: "secure-gl" }; var trac = nol_t(pvar); trac.record().post(); </script> <noscript> <div> <img src="//secure-gl.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=nz-sunmedia&cg=0&cc=1&ts=noscript" width="1" height="1" alt="" /> </div> </noscript> <!-- /9777248/SunLive-Skins--> <div id='div-gpt-ad-2430518-2' style='height:1px; width:1px;'> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-2430518-2'); }); </script> </div> <script> var staticMetadataObject = { type: "static", assetid: "/news/355648-methanol-poisoning--the-worst-outcome-is-death.html", section: "SunLive - Other" }; </script> <script type="text/JavaScript"> nSdkInstance.ggPM("staticstart",staticMetadataObject); </script> </body> </html>