British backpacker died after drinking poisoned 'gin'

[Asagrim]

Quote:

Cheznye Emmons died after drinking from a bottle labelled "gin" that later turned out to be filled with deadly methanol.

The 23-year-old had been travelling across south Asia with her boyfriend Joe Cook, 21, and a male friend the couple had met on their travels when they bought the tainted alcohol from a local shop in Indonesia.

Methanol is extremely poisonous and is known to cause kidney failure, blindness, seizures and death even in small doses.

All three travellers fell ill within hours of consuming the toxic substance – although Miss Emmons soon took a turn for the worse.

Within days the beauty therapist, from Great Wakering, Essex, complained of not being able to see and was rushed to the nearest eye clinic.

After travelling for hours through the jungle to reach the nearest clinic, she was immediately referred to a hospital in Medan, Sumatra, where she was placed in an induced coma.

On April 25, Miss Emmons's parents Pamela and Brenton made the decision to turn off her life support after flying out to be with her.

Distraught older brother Michael Emmons, 33, has spoken for the first time about how the family are coming to terms with the tragic loss of Miss Emmons.

He said: "It just doesn't seem real – we're all just in shock.

"From what we understand, the shop would have poured the gin out of the original bottle and then replaced it with methanol.

"It was in the original bottle with the gin label on it.

"As far we're aware, the shop which sold the alcohol has been shut down and there's a police investigation.

"The British embassy is also looking into it.

"We just hope it doesn't get swept under the carpet like some of these things do.

Tragically, Miss Emmons's death is not a unique case.

In 2009, 25 people died after drinking a batch of methanol-tainted "arak" in Bali.

[Pessimist]

Ookay, not buying booze in Indonesia. Good to know.

I have to wonder, though. While methanol does smell like alcohol (since, you know, it is), gin has a more distinctive odor because of the juniper. You would have thought they might have picked up on that aspect. Granted, MeOH kills you quick, so maybe by the time they noticed that their gin was off, it was too late.

[Green Tea Chi]

That's so sad.

[Love Muffin88]

Sadly, what I got out of this story was don't buy gin in Indonesia. surprised

[Commander Sigma]

Love Muffin88

Sadly, what I got out of this story was don't buy gin in Indonesia. surprised

It's a lesson that could save your life if you ever go there, so don't feel bad about it.

[David2074]

Pessimist

Ookay, not buying booze in Indonesia. Good to know.

I have to wonder, though. While methanol does smell like alcohol (since, you know, it is), gin has a more distinctive odor because of the juniper. You would have thought they might have picked up on that aspect. Granted, MeOH kills you quick, so maybe by the time they noticed that their gin was off, it was too late.

It apparently doesn't kill you that quickly -
"Within days the beauty therapist, from Great Wakering, Essex, complained of not being able to see"

I thought the same when I read this. That it would likely not taste like gin. But who knows. They may have just thought they got some crappy gin but 'hey, it's better than nothing' (even though apparently it wasn't). Even among gins a good quality gin like Bombay Sapphire has a different smell and taste than a cheap gin like Seagrams or worse, something like Monarch. Plus if the cheaters are creative they could add a touch of herbs / something else I guess.

It really seems like a horribly crappy thing to do to a person though. I was always warned when overseas if I ordered a bottle / can of something to make sure I cracked the factory seal myself. However those warnings were really more about being careful of local water. It never occurred to me someone might swap out the grain alcohol for methanol. And if you are talking about crappy alcohol it can usually be had pretty cheap. So I'd expect a scam artist to replace more expensive hooch with a cheap brand in the good bottle and sell that for more. Still a scam but no need to murder people in the process.

[Erynne]

Isn't Methanol found in cheap "moonshine"? I remember a friend telling me that in his country, people do drink methanol as a cheap alternative. They called it 'Gin Bulag" Bulag means Blind. The treatment to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol.

[Pessimist]

Erynne

Isn't Methanol found in cheap "moonshine"? I remember a friend telling me that in his country, people do drink methanol as a cheap alternative. They called it 'Gin Bulag" Bulag means Blind. The treatment to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol.

It's also the treatment for antifreeze poisoning. When I was in college, my clinical chem class and I all found that rather hilarious.

[Commander Sigma]

Erynne

Isn't Methanol found in cheap "moonshine"? I remember a friend telling me that in his country, people do drink methanol as a cheap alternative. They called it 'Gin Bulag" Bulag means Blind. The treatment to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol.

Do they relabel it and try to pass it off as something else, though?

Methanol is wood alcohol and that stuff is pretty toxic. I'm guessing you know it's called blind gin because one of the side effects of consumption is permanent blindness.

[Pessimist]

Super Fightin Prototype

Erynne

Isn't Methanol found in cheap "moonshine"? I remember a friend telling me that in his country, people do drink methanol as a cheap alternative. They called it 'Gin Bulag" Bulag means Blind. The treatment to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol.

Methanol is wood alcohol, which should never come anywhere close to your lips.

I thought she meant it may be created during the production of moonshine.

[Commander Sigma]

Pessimist

Super Fightin Prototype

Erynne

Isn't Methanol found in cheap "moonshine"? I remember a friend telling me that in his country, people do drink methanol as a cheap alternative. They called it 'Gin Bulag" Bulag means Blind. The treatment to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol.

Methanol is wood alcohol, which should never come anywhere close to your lips.

I thought she meant it may be created during the production of moonshine.

I wouldn't know about that, unfortunately. I do think I misinterpreted the post though, so I've edited it significantly.

[Erynne]

Super Fightin Prototype

Erynne

Isn't Methanol found in cheap "moonshine"? I remember a friend telling me that in his country, people do drink methanol as a cheap alternative. They called it 'Gin Bulag" Bulag means Blind. The treatment to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol.

Do they relabel it and try to pass it off as something else, though?

Methanol is wood alcohol and that stuff is pretty toxic. I'm guessing you know it's called blind gin because one of the side effects of consumption is permanent blindness.

Actually no. It's their hardcore drink in the slums. I guess they make it themselves or don't really care how it's made.

[Commander Sigma]

Erynne

Super Fightin Prototype

Erynne

Isn't Methanol found in cheap "moonshine"? I remember a friend telling me that in his country, people do drink methanol as a cheap alternative. They called it 'Gin Bulag" Bulag means Blind. The treatment to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol.

Do they relabel it and try to pass it off as something else, though?

Methanol is wood alcohol and that stuff is pretty toxic. I'm guessing you know it's called blind gin because one of the side effects of consumption is permanent blindness.

Actually no. It's their hardcore drink in the slums. I guess they make it themselves or don't really care how it's made.

Sounds like they need to discover the magic of Listerine. :U

[Pessimist]

Super Fightin Prototype

Erynne

Super Fightin Prototype

Erynne

Isn't Methanol found in cheap "moonshine"? I remember a friend telling me that in his country, people do drink methanol as a cheap alternative. They called it 'Gin Bulag" Bulag means Blind. The treatment to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol.

Do they relabel it and try to pass it off as something else, though?

Methanol is wood alcohol and that stuff is pretty toxic. I'm guessing you know it's called blind gin because one of the side effects of consumption is permanent blindness.

Actually no. It's their hardcore drink in the slums. I guess they make it themselves or don't really care how it's made.

Sounds like they need to discover the magic of Listerine. :U

Okay, no bones about it, I like alcohol in its various drinkable forms, but I couldn't ever stoop to drinking Listerine. Sure, it gives you a nice, tingly feeling when you wash your mouth out with it, but drinking it?! Gag.

[Commander Sigma]

Pessimist

Super Fightin Prototype

Erynne

Super Fightin Prototype

Erynne

Isn't Methanol found in cheap "moonshine"? I remember a friend telling me that in his country, people do drink methanol as a cheap alternative. They called it 'Gin Bulag" Bulag means Blind. The treatment to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol.

Do they relabel it and try to pass it off as something else, though?

Methanol is wood alcohol and that stuff is pretty toxic. I'm guessing you know it's called blind gin because one of the side effects of consumption is permanent blindness.

Actually no. It's their hardcore drink in the slums. I guess they make it themselves or don't really care how it's made.

Sounds like they need to discover the magic of Listerine. :U

Okay, no bones about it, I like alcohol in its various drinkable forms, but I couldn't ever stoop to drinking Listerine. Sure, it gives you a nice, tingly feeling when you wash your mouth out with it, but drinking it?! Gag.

It is disgusting but at least it's made from denatured grain alcohol and it will make you sick instead of outright killing you.

I knew a kid who was desperate enough to drink Listerine. He must've been pretty depressed to stoop that low. :/