Overview
- The FCDO added methanol-poisoning guidance to advice pages for Ecuador, Kenya, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Uganda and Russia.
- The total list now covers 16 destinations, building on existing warnings for Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Costa Rica, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Fiji.
- Officials cite increased deaths and serious illness from contaminated alcohol, with recent incidents reported in locations including Laos, India and Brazil.
- Travellers are urged to buy sealed drinks from licensed venues, avoid homemade alcohol, and treat pre‑mixed spirits or drinks served in buckets or jugs with caution.
- The refreshed Travel Aware materials and a “Know the Signs of Methanol Poisoning” campaign flag symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness and blurred vision that can escalate within 12–48 hours, with advice to seek urgent medical care.