Eleven countries added to methanol poisoning warning list
A further 11 countries have been added to the UK Foreign Office list warning travelers about the dangers of methanol poisoning from alcoholic beverages.
A “global increase in the number of reported cases” of methanol poisoning has led to updated travel guidance for Bangladesh, India, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Rwanda.
Methanol is a toxic industrial alcohol used in products such as paint thinner and windshield washer and is not intended for human consumption.
Other countries such as Ecuador, Japan, Mexico, Russia and Uganda were added to the list last month, while campaigns to raise awareness of the issue in backpacker destinations made headlines after the deaths of six tourists in Laos in 2024.
These included London-based lawyer Simone White, who died less than three weeks before her 28th birthday after drinking in a hostel bar while on holiday with a friend.
Ms White’s family representative, Amanda Dennis, has previously said the risk of methanol poisoning is “unknown” to many backpackers and holidaymakers traveling to South-East Asia.
“The advice needs to be much tougher, it needs to be much clearer and it needs to be real, ‘don’t drink alcoholic beverages, if you do you’re playing Russian roulette’,” Ms Dennis said.
He described Simone, from Orpington, as “intelligent” and “very well travelled”.
Ms Dennis said: “He wasn’t a one-time, one-time backpacker. He was everywhere, all over the world. If it could happen to him, it could happen to anyone.”
Methanol appears as a clear, colorless and flammable liquid, and small amounts occur naturally in the human body, animals, plants including fruits and vegetables, and bacteria.
But according to the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA), drinking small amounts is “dangerous” and can lead to serious consequences, such as causing blindness or death.
It is more harmful than ethanol, a similar compound found in ordinary alcohol.
The Foreign Office is currently running a campaign to help people recognize the signs of methanol poisoning and provide advice on how to reduce the risks.
Foreign Secretary Hamish Falconer said: “If you drink alcohol abroad, stick to safe places and avoid homemade alcohol or freebies.
“If you’re feeling anything like a hangover that’s much worse than usual or vision problems, seek medical help right away.”
The full list of countries at risk of methanol poisoning is as follows: Brazil, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda and Vietnam.
