Overview
- The FCDO updated its India advice on 18 November, warning of increased serious illness from methanol-tainted alcohol, with nearly a million UK visits to India each year.
- Officials state methanol cannot be identified by taste or smell and even small amounts can be fatal.
- Early effects can resemble ordinary intoxication, with severe symptoms 12–48 hours later including stomach pain, rapid breathing, dizziness, seizures, unconsciousness, and vision loss.
- Sight problems such as snowfield or tunnel vision are red flags that require urgent medical care.
- Guidance urges risk-reduction steps and notes prompt treatment with ethanol or fomepizole and possible dialysis is most effective within 10–30 hours, with similar warnings also listed for multiple other countries.