Arak is some pretty nasty stuff, but no matter your budget, avoid the stuff unless you want to take your life into your own hands.
Eight people are now dead and five are in hospital after drinking home-brewed arak believed to have been laced with methanol, Sanglah General Hospital spokesman Putra Wibawa said on Wednesday.
He said the first victim, who had been drinking arak in Kuta, died on May 16.
“Eight have died and five are still under treatment,” Wibawa said.
The victims came from all over Bali, including Ubud and Denpasar.
“The symptoms lead us to believe it is methanol poisoning,” Wibawa said.
Last year 25 people, including four foreign tourists, died in Bali and Lombok after drinking arak heavily laced with methanol to increase production.
Two men who produced arak at a small distillery near Denpasar were jailed for failing to apply health and safety regulations.
Dozens have also died in Java in the past two years.
Arak has become increasingly popular since the government raised taxes on imported alcohol, putting it out of reach for most Indonesians.
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