Six travelers in Laos died from suspected methanol poisoning. Here's where incidents happen the most

Six travelers have died from suspected methanol poisoning after visiting the tourist town of Vang Vieng, Laos, this month.

The travelers — two from Australia, two from Denmark, one from United Kingdom and one from United States — are believed to have consumed alcohol tainted with methanol, which is sometimes illegally added to regular or home-brewed alcohol to cut costs.

Some fourteen people were sickened following a night out in Vang Vieng around Nov. 12. One such traveler recently returned home to New Zealand, according to local news reports.

Methanol is cheaper than ethanol, which is the alcohol that's normally found in beer, wine and spirits. Odorless and colorless, drinking 30 milliliters of methanol — less than a standard shot — can be fatal, while consuming as little as 10 milliliters — or two teaspoons — can cause blindness, according to the non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders.

"Methanol poisoning is a global public health issue that has too little focus," according to a fact sheet published by the organization.

Since 2019, it has registered 943 incidents that have poisoned more than 39,000 people and killed around 12,900 people.

A lack of knowledge about methanol poisoning, from the public as well as the medical communities where outbreaks often occur, exacerbates the problem, according to the organization.

Most incidents of methanol poisoning occur in Asia, according to Doctors Without Borders.

A website by Doctors Without Borders that monitors methanol poisoning says many foreign tourists have fallen victim to methanol poisoning after consuming incorrectly distilled "arak" in Bali, Lombok and Gili Islands.

In September, several people were poisoned by methanol in Indonesia after consuming alcohol