Adulterated spirits are becoming increasingly common in popular vacation destinations. The British government warns against methanol in cocktails - just one sip can be fatal.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is urgently warning travelers against consuming cheap, unpackaged alcoholic beverages abroad. The reason: several cases of serious methanol poisoning, which can result in blindness or even death.
According to the FCDO, the extended list includes Japan, Mexico, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Russia, Kenya and Bangladesh . This is the authority's response to a series of incidents in which tourists from the UK were seriously injured or killed by adulterated drinks.
In many popular vacation regions in South-East Asia and Latin America, counterfeit or home-distilled spirits that are illegally diluted with methanol are circulating. The locally produced liquor Arak, which is sold on Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands in particular, is a frequent source of adulteration.
According to data from the organization "Doctors Without Borders " (MSF), Indonesia has topped the list of countries with more than 330 registered suspected cases since 2019. The top 10 countries in the database are India (140 cases), Russia (121), Bangladesh (53), Pakistan (42), China (30), Cambodia (28), Iran (28), Vietnam (28) and Kenya (24).
Despite the geographical focus on Asia, the inclusion of Japan in the UK warning list is surprising - an indication that the problem of counterfeit spirits is now global in nature.
Methanol is an industrial alcohol that is used in antifreeze or paints - and is hardly distinguishable from drinkable alcohol on the outside. Even consuming small amounts is dangerous: according to experts, just one sip, around 30 milliliters, can lead to death within 48 hours.
The symptoms are insidious. Initially they resemble normal alcohol poisoning - nausea, dizziness, vomiting. However, visual disturbances, seizures or respiratory arrest can occur within a few hours.
The FCDO recommends consuming only sealed drinks from licensed sources. Unlabeled spirits, pre-mixed cocktails from open containers or "bucket drinks", as offered in many vacation resorts, are taboo.
