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Could your holiday cocktail kill you? Foreign Office warns tourists over deadly methanol drinks in Mexico, Kenya and Japan that have already claimed nine lives READ MORE: Foreign Office issues urgent travel advice for eight countries after 'deaths and serious illness' By JO TWEEDY, ASSISTANT EDITOR, LIFESTYLE & TRAVEL Published: 12:28 BST, 25 October 2025 | Updated: 12:30 BST, 25 October 2025 Pitching up at a beach bar – often little more than a shack with a shelf of spirits – to toast the sunset on some far-flung isle has long been a holiday rite of passage. But in 2025, such an experience can come with a chaser of fear – particularly if you're a parent waving off a teenage adventurer on their gap year, as reports of bootleg alcohol laced with deadly methanol have become increasingly common. This week, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)'s list of countries reporting incidents of methanol poisoning doubled. No longer limited to backpacker trail destinations, it now includes mainstream holiday hotspots including Japan, Mexico, Kenya and Peru, suggesting criminals using methanol to masquerade as everyday spirits – to make a quick buck – is firmly on the rise. Other popular tourist destinations already on the list include Turkey, Vietnam, Costa Rica and Fiji. Closer-to-home European city break destinations not mentioned by the FCDO but that have reported cases of toxic, tainted alcohol in the last 15 years makes for unsettling reading, with the Czech Republic, Estonia and Norway all included. What is methanol? Essentially, it's an industrial alcohol, made from distilled wood and used in highly toxic products such as fuel, antifreeze and paint thinners. It's colourless, often has a disarming faint odour of alcohol and can make you feel drunk. Tourists who down a shot of methanol-laced vodka are unlikely to realise they've played Russian roulette with their lives until hours, sometimes days, later. As high profile cases in the last year alone show, small amounts can be lethal. A typical single shot of spirits measures at 25ml; just 30ml – around a mouthful of liquid – of methanol can cause death, with 10ml often leaving those who ingest it blind. Methanol-laced spirits are on the rise in the world's tourist hotspots, with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)'s list of countries reporting incidents of methanol poisoning doubling from eight to 16 (Pictured: stock image) High profile cases, including the death of British women Simone White, 28, one of six travellers who died following a night of drinking methanol-tainted shots at the Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng, Lao, have shone a spotlight on the dangers of bootleg booze Counterfeit bottles, often indistinguishable from genuine local spirit brands to unknowing tourists, are being sold on the black market to bar owners at a cut-price rate. Bootleg distilleries, where alcohol is often home-made and more likely to be without the processes to clear out toxins, is another way methanol is reaching glasses. This month, three people died in São Paulo, Brazil, with 225 people falling ill after drinking spirits also illegally tainted with methanol - the FCDO is yet to add the country to its list. In November 2024, British woman Simone White, 28, was one of six people tragically killed in the central Laos beauty spot-turned-party town of Vang Vieng after tourists – many young, independent travellers – consumed what they believed were innocuous vodka shots, served with Sprite, at the Nana Backpackers Hostel's bar. Another British man, Calum Macdonald, 23, who drank vodka and whisky shots at the same bar the night before Simone was there, has been left permanently blind. Speaking in August this year about the moment he realised his sight had gone, he said he was struck by a 'kaleidoscopic, blinding light in my eyes' after disembarking an overnight bus to Hanoi in Vietnam – before everything went dark. When Macdonald questioned his friends later about why the lights at their hotel weren't on, he was chillingly told: 'They are'. Toxicology reports later found that those who died and fell seriously ill had all ingested methanol. The UK government has added Japan to its list of destinations that have reported incidents of methanol poisoning (Pictured: Kyoto's Pontocho alley district) London solicitor Ms White, 28, died after unknowingly consuming bootleg alcohol; her friend Bethany Clarke, who also fell seriously ill, now campaigns in her friend's memory to educate holidaymakers about the risks of methanol Full list of countries with methanol poisoning warnings Costa Rica *countries with new warnings Advertisement Two Australians, Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both 19, two Danes, Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and James Louis Hutson, 57, from the US also lost their lives alongside Simone White. The inclusion of Japan, currently one of the world's trendiest destinations, drawing in everyone from globe-trotting students to middle-class retirees – and also a key destination for business travellers, on the FCDO's list is particularly surprising. Japan's drinking culture, from the shimmering skyscraper bars in Tokyo to the cocktail lounges and izakayas (traditional pubs) in Kyoto's historic Pontocho Alley, is no secret – but reports of methanol poisoning have largely been unheard of until recently. The arrival of illicit alcohol on the streets of Japan, which is currently welcoming around 40 million global tourists a year, suggests dangerous alcohol is trickling into venues that aren't simply backpacker 'happy hour' haunts. While there's no suggestion that alcohol served behind the bars in licensed all-inclusive holiday resorts or on cruise liners is likely to be laced with methanol, seeking out 'authentic', local drinking holes away from your hotel or while docked in a port is likely to put you at greater risk of being served toxic liquor. Simone White's close friend, Bethany Clarke, who also fell seriously ill on that fateful night in Vang Vieng, says the FCDO updating its advisory list on methanol poisoning is a drop in the ocean – and more tourists will die unless governments invest in greater awareness. Clarke, who, like Simone, is from Orpington in south-east London, now fronts the Methanol Awareness Campaign in memory of her friend, and says too many tourists still don't appreciate the dangers of drinking in unlicensed bars when they're abroad. Speaking to the Daily Mail this week, she says people should educate themselves on the harm that just one spirit-based cocktail or shot can bring if they're buying it in a country where the drinks industry is poorly regulated. She says: 'People need to treat consuming alcohol abroad [with the same risk] as doing drugs abroad – you just wouldn’t. If you did take drugs abroad, you'd know you were taking a gamble with your life. Bethany Clarke (left), pictured with her late Simone White (right). The pair both grew up in Orpington in south-east London and were on holiday together in Laos when tragedy struck; Clarke says other tourists will die unless governments invest in better awareness Calum Mcdonald, 23, (pictured) was also poisoned after drinking free whisky and vodka shots at the hostel in Vang Vieng last year. He revealed earlier this year that he is now permanently blind 'It’s unfortunate that governments around the world have not educated their citizens enough about methanol poisoning to prevent these types of incidents.' The campaigner, who had spent the day tubing down a river with her friend in Vang Vieng ahead of the night that changed their lives forever, says she's been contacted by other Britons who fear they've been poisoned while abroad – and, worryingly, in destinations that we flock to in our millions every year. One British lady, she claims, contacted her recently to say that her daughter had been poisoned after consuming a single shot in a bar in Magaluf, Mallorca's party town. Clarke says: 'Spain is so close to home and it is clear that young people are still not aware of the risk of methanol poisoning - or it wouldn’t still be happening. 'It’s disappointing that Brazil wasn’t added to the [FCDO] list too, following the recent outbreak affecting 225 people and killing three.' Checking for intact seals on branded bottles of spirits and avoiding 'buckets or bowls' of cocktails where the ingredients often aren't poured at the bar is wise, say experts. HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST METHANOL POISONING Check for intact seals on branded bottles of spirits Avoid 'buckets or bowls' of cocktails where ingredients aren't poured at the bar Question drinks that are unusually cheap, or free Stick to sealed cans or bottles of beer Never accept homebrew drinks Opt for bars with clear licensing information displayed on the wall Advertisement Drinks that are unusually cheap, or free, is another red flag. And never accept 'moonshine' drinks that have been made locally by amateur distillers – opt for bars with clear licensing information displayed on the wall. The FCDO's campaign, 'Know the Signs of Methanol Poisoning', advises tourists and backpackers to seek help immediately if they think they've been served a drink laced with it. The advice suggests 'spotting methanol poisoning can be difficult because at first it can affect you in the same ways as ‘real’ alcohol' but says early symptoms include 'vomiting, poor judgement, loss of balance and drowsiness'. The onset of more serious symptoms, such as abdominal pain, vertigo, hyperventilation, breathlessness, blurred vision and/or blindness, coma and convulsions, can occur later, between 12 to 48 hours after methanol has been consumed. There is an antidote, a drug called Fomepizole – often used under its brand name, Antizol, which works by stopping the body from breaking down methanol into its most toxic form. However, it's expensive and, says Clarke, not every country has readily available supplies of it. She points out that the outbreak in Sao Paulo this month saw the Brazilian government forced to hastily seek out supplies of Fomepizole to save lives. She says: 'Governments around the world need to do more to prevent future outbreaks and ensure that the antidote fomepizole is available in every country in the world. Brazil had to get it very last minute recently.' Professor Alastair Hay, an expert in environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds, told the Daily Mail last year that using real alcohol (ethanol) as a treatment can also help in stopping methanol being processed by the liver, where it can cause major organ failure. 'The principle behind administering ethanol is quite simple; it delays methanol metabolism,' he said. He explained that both substances are broken down by the organ in the same way, but as alcohol is done so more efficiently it is prioritised by the body. Professor Hay said this preference for alcohol gives the body time to get rid of methanol in other ways that don't result in organ damage, such as via urination and sweat. Young woman who survived the Laos alcohol poisoning that killed six reveals the horror symptoms In more mild cases, and if delivered quickly enough, alcohol may be the only treatment a patient requires to recover. 'If the poisoning is not too severe, and only blood tests will determine this, ethanol alone may suffice, Professor Hay said. Clarke, who is currently based in Brisbane, says the Australian Government has been more proactive in raising awareness about methanol – and the campaigns are working. She says: 'Australia are so proactive with their Sip Safe campaign and the Partying Safely hub, and they also have posters and signage in airports and have been sending SMS messages. 'This is really what we need to make people question what it is that they are putting inside their bodies. I haven’t heard of any further cases of Australians being poisoned since Laos last year.' This week, the UK Minister responsible for Consular and Crisis, Hamish Falconer, said in a statement on the FCDO website: 'We’re working hard to raise awareness of the warning signs and urging anyone who suspects methanol poisoning to seek immediate medical attention. 'I encourage all travellers to check our travel advice and Travel Aware pages before they go on holiday. No family should endure what the campaigners’ families have suffered. 'Their determination to prevent others facing the same tragedy has been instrumental in driving forward these vital updates to our travel advice.' MexicoJapanBrazil Share or comment on this article: Could your holiday cocktail kill you? Foreign Office warns tourists over deadly methanol drinks in Mexico, Kenya and Japan that have already claimed nine lives Add comment
