Laos bans local vodka and whisky brand following suspected poisoning, Australia says

Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos, where two young Australian travellers were staying when they became ill from drinking. Photograph: Anupam Nath/AP

Laos has banned the sale and consumption of a local brand of whisky and vodka after the death of six tourists from a suspected mass methanol poisoning this month, Australian authorities have said.

According to Smartraveller, the Australian government’s travel advice website, the drinks Tiger vodka and Tiger whisky have been prohibited by the Laos government due to “concerns about these products being a health risk”.