The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued a warning to UK holidaymakers, advising travellers to take precautions while abroad.
In a recent update posted on X, formerly Twitter, the FCDO said: “Free drinks aren’t worth the risk.
“To help reduce the risk of methanol poisoning abroad, avoid free cocktails or shots, unlabelled bottles, and unusually cheap or discounted drinks claiming to be brand-name alcohol.”
The alert follows several tragic deaths of British tourists who consumed methanol-contaminated alcohol during trips abroad.
Simone White, 28, was among six victims who died after drinking free shots at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos, during November 2024.
TravelAware cautions: “In some parts of the world methanol products are sometimes illegally mixed with ‘real’ alcohol such as spirit-based drinks and cocktails.”
Tourists are strongly advised to buy alcoholic beverages exclusively from licensed venues, bars and hotels, avoid homemade alcoholic drinks, ensure bottle seals are intact, and check labels carefully for poor quality printing or spelling errors.
Should you or any member of your travelling party fall ill after drinking alcohol, immediate medical assistance must be sought.
Early symptoms of methanol poisoning include impaired judgement, loss of balance, and drowsiness.
Anywhere between 12 and 48 hours after consumption, sufferers may experience stomach pain, dizziness, hyperventilation, breathlessness, blurred vision and/or blindness, coma, and convulsions.
Should you or anyone travelling with you develop these symptoms, seek urgent medical attention.
Visual disturbances serve as a particularly significant warning sign, most notably blurry vision, sensitivity to bright lights, and in some cases complete loss of sight. “Snowfield vision” (seeing snowy static resembling an old television) or tunnel vision may also present.
If you experience any of these symptoms, seek urgent medical help.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
