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After new methanol poisoning warnings from the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) were issued on Tuesday, holidaymakers may be wondering if it’s safe to drink alcohol in Mexico. The FCDO added methanol poisoning guidance to travel advice pages for Mexico, Japan, Ecuador, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Uganda and Russia on Tuesday. Approximately 467,000 British travellers visited Mexico in 2024, according to Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism. The northernmost country in Latin America is known for its tequila and mezcal as tipples for travellers. In 2020, at least 20 people died in a mass methanol poisoning in the town of Chiconcuautla in Mexico’s central state of Puebla. Mexican officials said the spate of deaths, as the nation struggled to contend with the coronavirus pandemic, may have been related to the imposition of dry laws and other measures meant to combat the spread of the virus. Here’s everything travellers need to know about drinking alcohol in Mexico and how to stay safe from methanol poisoning. Read more: Teach teens the dangers of methanol poisoning says best friend of killed Laos tourist As of 21 October, FCDO advice warns that “there have been deaths and cases of serious illness caused by alcoholic drinks containing methanol in Mexico”. It says: “Even small amounts of methanol can kill. It is not possible to identify methanol in alcoholic drinks by taste or smell.” The FCDO adds that travellers should “seek urgent medical attention if you or someone you are travelling with shows the signs of methanol poisoning after drinking”. Symptoms of methanol poisoning include dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting, severe abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Generally, the Foreign Office reminds holidaymakers not to leave food and drinks unattended in bars and restaurants in Mexico. The FCDO warns: “Criminals have robbed or assaulted travellers after drugging them.” Read more: Foreign Office extends methanol poisoning warnings to eight new countries
