A doctors’ group has warned the public of possible methanol poisoning this holiday season.

According to Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF), methanol poisoning has long been a well-known issue across Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Flavorless and colorless, methanol is hard to detect in drinks and victims typically don’t see symptoms of poisoning straight away.

Methanol is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Most methanol poisonings occur as a result of drinking beverages contaminated with methanol or from drinking methanol-containing products.

“Drinking it, whether intentional or accidental, the contamination of beverages, and the irresponsible or unlicensed production of alcohol often lead to methanol poisoning,” the MSF noted.

It can take up to 24 hours for victims to start showing signs of illness which include: nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain which can escalate into hyperventilation and breathing problems.

If not treated, the MSF said the fatality rates are often reported to be 20 percent to 40 percent, depending on the concentration of methanol and the amount taken.

But if poisoning is diagnosed quickly enough, ideally within the first 30 hours, treatment can reduce some of the worse effects.

The MSF said methanol poisoning is a global problem, with 71 percent of its outbreaks occurring in Asia, and most of it in Southeast Asia.

It said that the most common source of methanol poisoning in Indonesia is a type of alcohol that is illegally produced, known as “arak” — a liquor made from coconut flowers, rice, and sugar cane, and it can be bought in unlicensed bottle shops or liquor stores.

The common name for this alcohol in Indonesia is Miras Oplosan or just Oplosan.

Since 2017, journalists in Indonesia have reported over 200 cases of methanol poisoning in the country, but the total number of people with confirmed or suspected cases of methanol poisoning is probably over 1,100, and more than 700 of them died.

Meanwhile, the MSF also noted the same issue in the Philippines, particularly with the consumption of unregistered lambanog or coconut vodka.

Several deaths still occur each year from methanol poisoning after drinking unregistered lambanog, according to the Food and Drug Administration which also earlier warned against the consumption of the unregistered alcoholic beverage.

In December 2019, at least 23 people died and more than 300 were treated after drinking moonshine lambanog in Laguna and Quezon.

To prevent possible methanol poisoning, the MSF recommends only buying alcoholic beverages from reputable brands and legitimate manufacturers.

It is also recommended to check the seals and labels as well as avoid consuming alcohol sold by unlicensed vendors because they may be counterfeit or may have been produced without sufficient precautions.

Moreover, it also warned against alcohols that are priced too low as “they may not be legally produced.”