People are urged to exercise a high level of caution
Cheap drink promotions, local native spirits, or complimentary “free shots” at hostels are frequent sources of contamination (stock image)(Image: Getty)
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued a new warning to winter holidaymakers regarding the severe dangers of contaminated alcohol abroad. In a social media alert published today (November 9) on X, the FCDO urged travellers to exercise extreme caution when purchasing or consuming alcoholic drinks while travelling.
The warning comes amid heightened international concern over toxic bootleg alcohol outbreaks in popular tourist destinations. It reads: “Have a holiday booked this winter? In some parts of the world, alcohol can be contaminated with methanol, which can cause serious illness or even death. Avoid homemade, ‘bootleg’ or streetside alcohol.”
According to the FCDO, alcohol in several parts of the world can be contaminated with methanol, which is a highly toxic form of alcohol normally used in industrial products. Even a small amount of methanol can cause permanent blindness, organ failure, or death.
The government body explicitly warned holidaymakers to strictly avoid homemade, “bootleg,” or streetside alcohol to protect themselves. The safety alert applies broadly across global holiday hotspots, but the FCDO currently flags dozens of countries under its “Know the Signs” safety awareness guidelines.
Travellers should be particularly vigilant in parts of South East Asia, including Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The risks are also highlighted in major holiday destinations across the Americas, such as Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil, as well as Turkey, India, and various nations across Africa.
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings
List of destinations where travellers are urged to be highly vigilant:
- South East Asia: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines
- The Americas: Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Papua New Guinea
- Europe and Central Asia: Turkey, Russia
- East Asia: Japan
- Africa: Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Malawi, Morocco, Libya, Rwanda
- South and Western Asia: India, Bangladesh, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Nepal
- Oceania: Fiji
The risk of encountering poisoned drinks is highest in areas with weak regulatory oversight or where illegal manufacturing thrives. Illicit producers often deliberately use cheap industrial chemicals such as methanol to stretch their alcohol supplies and maximise profit margins.
Backpacker hubs, informal street markets, and remote beach towns are frequent locations for these incidents. Health experts note that counterfeit alcohol is frequently used in cheap local spirits, complimentary “free shots” at bars, and mass-produced versions of traditional national drinks.
To stay safe while travelling, the FCDO and travel clinics advise tourists to completely avoid open drink buckets, pre-made punches, and unbranded spirits. Travellers should never buy alcohol from street-side stalls or unlicensed vendors.
Instead, holidaymakers are advised to stick to branded beers, ciders, and wines. Where possible, always choose drinks served in sealed bottles or cans, opened directly in front of you, and only purchase alcohol from reputable, fully licensed establishments such as major hotels and established restaurants.
Real-life cases
Recent years have seen high-profile and tragic real-life cases of methanol-contaminated alcohol poisoning, particularly affecting international tourists in popular backpacking and holiday hubs. For example, in Vang Vieng, Laos, during November 2024, in a mass poisoning event that made global headlines, six young foreign tourists died after consuming what were believed to be free vodka shots at the Nana Backpacker Hostel.
The victims included 28-year-old British lawyer Simone White, two 19-year-old Australian teenagers (Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles), two Danish citizens, and an American tourist. Over a dozen others were severely sickened or hospitalised. Investigation teams later traced the source to an illegal factory outside the capital that was supplying local venues with bootleg spirits heavily laced with industrial methanol.
In Fiji, during December 2024, seven foreign tourists, including Australian and American nationals, had to be rushed to the hospital with acute neurological symptoms, nausea, and vomiting after drinking contaminated cocktails at a luxury five-star resort along Fiji’s Coral Coast.
What are the signs to look out for?
Methanol poisoning is a life-threatening medical emergency that typically manifests 12 to 24 hours after consuming contaminated alcohol. Because the toxic chemical is indistinguishable by sight, taste, or smell from normal alcohol, it is impossible to detect in a glass.
While initial symptoms can mimic a standard, severe hangover with intense nausea, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness, the condition quickly progresses to cause unique, critical warning signs. Most distinctively, victims experience profound visual disturbances, such as blurred vision, seeing flashes of light, or feeling like they are “in a snowstorm”, alongside severe abdominal pain, confusion, difficulty breathing, and potentially fatal seizures or organ failure.
If you or a travel companion experience any changes to your eyesight or breathing after drinking, you must seek emergency medical care immediately and explicitly inform hospital staff that you suspect methanol poisoning.
