UK adds eight countries to methanol poisoning travel warnings

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated its travel advice on 21 October to add eight countries to warnings about the risk of methanol poisoning from contaminated alcoholic drinks, citing recent incidents involving travellers. The nations added to the guidance are Japan, Mexico, Ecuador, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Uganda and Russia. The FCDO said the changes follow reports of serious illness and deaths linked to alcohol tainted with methanol in popular destinations.

Methanol is an industrial alcohol found in products such as antifreeze and paint thinners and is not safe for human consumption. The FCDO said it can be mixed illegally into spiritbased drinks to cut costs. Even small amounts can cause irreversible harm, including blindness or death, often within 12 to 48 hours of ingestion, and the substance is tasteless and odourless, making it hard to detect in drinks.

The advisory sets out common early symptoms that can be mistaken for ordinary alcohol intoxication, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness and confusion, and warns that more severe effects such as vision problems, seizures and respiratory failure can develop within hours. The FCDO urged anyone who shows...