Eight countries added to Foreign Office warning list

Eight countries have been added to a UK Foreign Office warning list of the risks of methanol poisoning from counterfeit or tainted alcoholic drinks.

Ecuador, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Russia and Uganda are included in the updated travel guidance following incidents involving Britons in those countries.

The advice previously covered Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Costa Rica and Fiji and follows a number of high-profile incidents including the death of six tourists in Laos last year.

Travelers are advised to watch out for signs of methanol poisoning such as blurred vision and confusion, which can lead to serious illness and death.

Methanol is an industrial chemical found in antifreeze and windshield washer fluid. It is not meant for human consumption and is highly toxic.

But there have been instances of unscrupulous backyard brewers adding methanol to drinks to make them go further, and some bars and street sellers mixing it with spirit-based drinks and cocktails to cut costs.

The Foreign Office has started a new advertising campaign and updated its travel advice pages to include information on recognizing symptoms and reducing risks of methanol poisoning.

British nationals going abroad are advised to purchase sealed drinks from licensed establishments, avoid homemade alcohol and pre-mixed spirits, cocktails and drinks served in buckets or jugs.

Travelers are advised to watch out for warning signs of poisoning, which include nausea, vomiting, dizziness and confusion. Experts say methanol poisoning in the early stages can resemble alcohol poisoning, but distinctive symptoms, such as vision issues, can develop between 12-48 hours after consumption.

People with signs of methanol poisoning should seek urgent medical attention immediately.

Last month campaigners and the families of some of the Britons who have died or been injured from methanol poisoning abroad met members of the travel industry and MPs in parliament.

Among them was Amanda Dennis who represents the family of Simone White, a 28-year-old lawyer from Orpington who was one of six backpackers who died in 2024 after consuming free shots at a hostel in Laos.

She said the Foreign Office should go further with its latest warning.

“The advice should be don’t buy spirits in these countries, including licensed places,” she said. “If people want to drink spirits in these countries, they should buy spirits at duty free in the UK.”

She also suggested that the Foreign Office should place posters highlighting the issue of methanol poisoning at UK airports.

Calum Macdonald had been backpacking in Laos when he fell victim to methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng and went blind.

The 23-year-old from Sunbury-on-Thames said: “I think it’s important that people know, obviously, because it’s quite a simple bit of information you can get that can really save you a lot of pain.

“I certainly think if I’d been aware of the risks I wouldn’t be here today without my vision.”

Hamish Falconer, the Foreign Office minister responsible for consular and crisis, said: “Methanol poisoning can kill. It can be difficult to detect when drinking and early symptoms mirror ordinary alcohol poisoning. By the time travelers realize the danger, it can be too late.”

He added: “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.”