The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has expanded its travel advice to warn British travellers of the risk of methanol poisoning in eight additional countries.
Ecuador, Kenya, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Uganda and Russia have now been added to the list of destinations where travellers are urged to exercise caution when drinking alcohol. Previously, the warning only included places where British nationals had already been affected: Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Costa Rica, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Fiji.
This update follows several recent cases of tourists falling seriously ill or dying after consuming tainted drinks. Also known as wood alcohol, methanol is tasteless and odourless and is often illegally mixed into spirits or cocktails to cut costs.
KENYA: Australia has asked its citizens in Kenya to be alert to the potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks. pic.twitter.com/I50xwEm6zS
— Intelligence Africa (@africa_intel) October 24, 2025
On 21 October, the FCDO warned that there had been an increase in cases of serious illness caused by alcoholic drinks containing methanol in popular travel destinations around the world, highlighting Japan , which, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, welcomed 437,000 British visitors in 2024, for its “risk of drink spiking and credit card fraud”.
Last year, Simone White, a British national, died after drinking ‘tainted shots’ at a bar in Laos. Another British backpacker lost his sight after accepting free shots of whisky and vodka in Laos. He later described seeing a ‘kaleidoscopic, blinding light’ before losing his sight completely. Two Danish women, two Australians and an American also lost their lives in similar incidents.
'I remember having this kaleidoscopic blinding light in my eyes'
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) August 18, 2025
Calum Macdonald spoke to #BBCBreakfast about a mass methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng in Laos last year, in which six people were killed, and left him blind https://t.co/u2TKqWhmjy pic.twitter.com/1F2mF5X0fU
In response to these and other cases, the Foreign Office launched an awareness campaign on social media to help travellers recognise the symptoms of methanol poisoning and seek urgent medical help if necessary.
Early signs can mimic ordinary alcohol intoxication, including vomiting, impaired judgement, loss of balance and drowsiness. Within 12 to 48 hours, however, more distinctive and dangerous symptoms can appear, including abdominal pain, vertigo, hyperventilation, breathlessness, blurred vision, blindness, coma and even convulsions.
The FCDO warns that vision problems are a red flag and that travellers experiencing them after drinking should seek immediate medical attention.
“Methanol poisoning can kill – it can be difficult to detect when drinking and early symptoms mirror ordinary alcohol poisoning”, says Hamish Falconer, the Minister responsible for Consular and Crisis Affairs.
“By the time travellers realise the danger, it can be too late. That’s why we’re working hard to raise awareness of the warning signs and urging anyone who suspects methanol poisoning to seek immediate medical attention.”
The FCDO explains that methanol is an industrial alcohol that can be found in antifreeze, solvents, pesticides, alternative fuels, and paint thinners. Some unregulated producers illegally add it to dilute or substitute ethanol in spirit-based drinks or cocktails to cut costs. It is easy to mix because it is tasteless and odourless, yet it is also highly toxic, even in small amounts. Once ingested, the body converts it into formaldehyde – a chemical used in embalming and industrial glue – before breaking it down into formic acid, highly toxic to the nervous system.
It only takes a small amount of methanol to rapidly cause serious illness.
— FCDO Travel Advice (@FCDOtravelGovUK) October 7, 2025
Symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting can develop 12-24 hours after ingestion.
If you suspect methanol poisoning, seek urgent medical help.
For more info, check: https://t.co/jUvdT43YSj pic.twitter.com/jd9Kynexc8
“No family should endure what the campaigners’ families have suffered. Their determination to prevent others facing the same tragedy has been instrumental in driving forward these vital updates to our travel advice”, added Falconer.
To avoid a holiday ending in an emergency room, the FCDO advises travellers to buy only sealed drinks from licensed establishments, avoid homemade or unlabelled alcohol, and “be particularly cautious of pre-mixed spirits, cocktails and drinks served in buckets or jugs.”
At least 25 people have already died this year from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking vodka in Russia’s Leningrad region. Japan has also been added to the list, with the FCDO advising vigilance in Tokyo’s nightlife districts such as Kabukicho, Roppongi, Shibuya and Ikebukuro, where risks are considered higher.
