Prototype is able to detect small concentrations of the toxic substance in alcoholic drinks or on someone’s breath

Australian researchers have developed a prototype methanol “breathalyser” capable of detecting small concentrations of the toxic substance in alcoholic drinks or on someone’s breath.

Methanol poisoning is a problem that affects thousands of people every year, killing 20-40% of victims, according to Doctors Without Borders. In November, Australian backpackers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, along with British lawyer Simone White, were among six tourists to die in a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos.