UK Foreign Office Expands Methanol Warning

The United Kingdom — Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued an urgent travel warning, adding eight new countries (Ecuador, Kenya, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Uganda, and Russia) to its list of nations where British travelers face a risk of methanol poisoning from fake or tainted alcoholic drinks. This expansion brings the total number of countries on the danger list to 16, including previously listed nations like Laos, where British traveler Simone White died and Calum MacDonald went blind from methanol poisoning last year. Methanol, an industrial alcohol, is illegally mixed with spirits to cut costs and can cause blindness or death. The United Kingdom — Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working to raise awareness of the warning signs and advises travelers to purchase sealed drinks from licensed establishments and avoid homemade alcohol.