UK officials issue urgent warning on methanol poisoning symptoms following multiple tourists' deaths

UK officials have issued updated guidance warning Brits about the dangers of methanol poisoning.

It comes as several countries have had an alert about the risks of methanol in drinks that are sold there.

Methanol is the chemical cousin of ethanol, which is the kind of alcohol that you would find in beer, wine, and spirits.

Ethanol is bad for you no matter how moderately you drink, and also has a risk of long term health effects and developing an addiction.

But while ethanol is bad for you, the symptoms of methanol poisoning are far more acute, and can have a terrifying impact on you very quickly if you are unlucky enough to drink some.

Drinks that use spirits are a particular risk (Javier Zayas Photography/Getty)

In a post on social media, UK officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) issued the following advice, writing: "It only takes a small amount of methanol to rapidly cause serious illness.

"Symptoms like dizziness, vertigo and amnesia can develop 12-24 hours after ingestion.

"If you suspect methanol poisoning, seek urgent medical help."

How to spot the signs of methanol poisoning

"Spotting methanol poisoning can be difficult because at first it can affect you in the same ways as ‘real’ alcohol," the FCDO said.

Signs to watch for include:

• Early signs: vomiting, poor judgement, loss of balance and drowsiness.
• 12-48 hours after drinking: abdominal pain, vertigo, hyperventilation, breathlessness, blurred vision and/or blindness, coma and convulsions. If you or someone you are travelling with have any of these symptoms seek urgent medical attention.
• Vision issues are a red flag and can also appear 12-48 hours after the first drink. Methanol poisoning can cause blurry vision, trouble looking at bright lights, and in some cases complete blindness. If you have “snowfield vision” (seeing snowy static like an old TV) or tunnel vision seek urgent medical help.

"Urgent medical attention could save your life or prevent serious complications," the FCDO added.

The FCDO has also added travel advice on methanol poisoning for a number of new countries including Mexico, Ecuador, Japan, Kenya, Peru, Nigeria, Russia, and Uganda.

The warning expands on the existing advice in Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos.

It comes after a sudden rise in cases of serious illness and even death following the consumption of methanol.

Calum Macdonald suffered permanent loss of vision after inadvertently drinking methanol in Laos.

"I remember having this sort of kaleidoscopic, blinding light in my eyes and to the point at which I couldn't see anything,” Macdonald told the BBC.

Clear spirits are an especially high risk (Pawel Kacperek/Getty)

He added: "We were sitting in the hotel room, my friends and I, and I said to them: 'Why are we sitting in the dark? Someone should turn a light on.'"

But the light was switched on.

In November 2024, six tourists in Laos died after drinking methanol, including Holly Bowles and her best friend Bianca Jones, who were both just 19 years old.

Methanol is sometimes cut with drinks to lower the cost.

To avoid methanol poisoning, you are best sticking to beer and wine as spirits, particularly clear-coloured spirits, are a particularly high risk.

If you do want to drink spirits, then you should do in a bar or restaurant, and make sure you are drinking registered brands.

Homemade spirits are a particularly high risk as well.

And of course if you are worried or suspicious that something is wrong with your drink - don't drink it.

• Urgent travel warning as 8 new countries given methanol poisoning alerts