Last week, Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles died after drinking alcohol laced with methanol. They were among the 6 people who died from the same suspected mass poisoning in Laos, while others have become seriously ill. So in this Shortcut, we’ll look what’s known about what happened in Laos, what methanol poisoning is, and how prevalent it is around the world.

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Reading: This explainer from Medicins Sans Frontiers talks about the difference between ethanol (which is safe to drink) and methanol (which isn't). Bonus: there’s a helpful infographic that could save your life.

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