Reducing the risk of methanol poisoning among travelers

Author(s):  Dr Sherilyn Houle

The deaths of six travelers to Laos in 2024 due to methanol poisoning highlight another potential health and safety risk to consider in pre-travel consultations.^1-2 Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) reported 60 suspected incidents of methanol poisoning in 2025 based on news reports, publications, and personal communications, recognizing that this is likely underestimated.³ Since 2019, countries with the most reported incidents were Indonesia, India, Russia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, Vietnam, Iran, Cambodia, and Kenya.³ While not all incidents are among travelers, alcohol use by travelers is common, and travel health professionals need to be equipped to discuss strategies to reduce the risk of methanol poisoning.

Methanol can be hard to detect within alcoholic beverages as it is clear, colorless, and has a slightly alcoholic odor.⁴ Typically used for solvents, antifreeze, and paint, it is highly toxic to humans and not intended for consumption;⁴ however, it is occasionally illegally added to some ethanol-containing drinks.

Upon consumption of as little as 3-20 mL, central nervous system depression can occur with other manifestations such as metabolic acidosis, ocular toxicity, coma, or death possible at higher volumes.⁵ Treatment of methanol poisoning can include oral or intravenous ethanol, fomepizole, or dialysis.⁶

Resources to educate travelers on methanol poisoning are available from Médecins Sans Frontières (https://methanolpoisoning.msf.org/en/) and the UK Health Security Agency (https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/news/810/methanol-poisoning-and-local-herbal-brews-dng-travel). Travelers should be advised to be cautious with spirit-based drinks, to buy branded products only from licensed bars, hotels, or liquor stores, and to inspect the quality of the packaging, including labeling and seals, to detect products that may be counterfeit or tampered with. Offers of free or highly discounted drinks should be declined.

Travelers should seek immediate medical attention for signs or symptoms of potential methanol poisoning. While initial signs may mimic typical alcohol intoxication or a hangover, 12-48 hours after ingestion, people may experience abdominal pain, vertigo, hyperventilation, breathlessness, blurred vision and/or blindness, coma, convulsions.^5-7 Visual disturbances such as blurred vision, sensitivity to bright light, tunnel vision or complete blindness, or ‘snowfield vision’ with moving white spots are highly associated with methanol poisoning and should be acted on urgently.

Travelers should consult travel advisories for countries being visited for any reports of methanol poisoning. As of October 2025, the following eight countries have been added to a warning list issued by the United Kingdom: Ecuador, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, and Uganda. These countries are in addition to those previously listed: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Costa Rica, and Fiji.⁸

References

[1].  Fake alcohol deaths highlight SE Asia's methanol problem.  Mao F ‐ BBC News [link]
[2].  Brain damage, blindness and death: the global trail of trauma left by methanol-laced alcohol.  ‐ The Guardian [link]
[3].  Suspected methanol poisoning incidents.  ‐ Médecins Sans Frontières [link]
[4].  Methanol: general information.  ‐ UK Health Security Agency. [link]
[5].  Methanol: toxicological overview.  ‐ UK Health Security Agency [link]
[6].  Methanol poisoning: Things health professionals need to know.  ‐ Médecins Sans Frontières [link]
[7].  Spiking and methanol poisoning.  ‐ UK Government [link]
[8].  Eight countries added to methanol poisoning warning list.  Kleiderman A ‐ BBC [link]