Public heath experts are sounding the alarm about a worrisome uptick in poisonings from tainted alcohol in many countries around the world, including several major destinations for tourism.
In Brazil, more than 100 recent poisonings have led to death and other serious outcomes including blindness and coma and are believed to have been caused by drinking cocktails containing methanol, which is highly toxic to humans.
According to media reports, many of the victims had consumed drinks at bars and restaurants in popular cities such as São Paulo, leading to growing concern across the country.
And the problem isn't limited to Brazil.
Last week the U.K.'s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) released an updated warning about methanol poisoning for tourists in eight other countries following an "increase in cases of serious illness and death caused by alcoholic drinks tainted with methanol in popular overseas travel destinations," according to the advisory.
The countries covered by the new guidance: Mexico, Japan, Peru, Ecuador, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Russia.
They join several other countries for which the British government has already advised wariness with regard to cocktails: Cambodia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.
In 2024, a 28-year-old British backpacker died after unwittingly drinking methanol in Laos.
What is methanol? And what is it doing in cocktails?
As the FCDO explains, methanol is an undrinkable industrial alcohol that can be found in antifreeze and paint thinner.
It's usually cheaper than spirits like vodka or gin, so some unscrupulous cocktail vendors may mix in methanol illegally in order to "cut costs," per the U.K.'s warning.
Because methanol is tasteless and odorless, drinkers can't detect the lethal substance. But even small amounts can cause blindness or death within 12 to 48 hours.
How to lower the risk of methanol poisoning while drinking overseas
The American Council on Science and Health reports that "prototype dip-strips and smartphone-linked devices are in development" to give bargoers more tools for detecting a methanol-tainted drink out in the wild.
But there are currently no reliable, "validated" consumer testing kits on the market, and electronic detectors are either expensive or not portable.
So for now, unfortunately, that means travelers who choose to drink alcohol while out and about have to assume a degree of risk.
The U.K.'s FCDO recommends taking these measures to lower your chances of inadvertently consuming methanol:
• Avoid consuming streetside or homemade alcohol.
• Purchase sealed or bottled drinks from licensed establishments only.
• Be cautious of taking free or extremely cheap drinks or consuming pre-mixed cocktails or shots served in open buckets or jugs.
Additionally, it's wise to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of methanol poisoning, but this can get tricky because many of the symptoms resemble regular alcohol poisoning, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and confusion.
One distinctive factor that often accompanies methanol poisoning, though, is trouble with vision. Blurred vision or blindness can develop as soon as 12 hours after consumption.
Seek medical attention immediately if you or someone you're traveling with shows signs of methanol poisoning after drinking alcohol, and be sure to mention methanol as a concern to the medical professionals you get in touch with.
For more information, consult the U.K.'s Travel Aware web page on avoiding methanol poisoning while on the road.