Rising deaths from methanol poisoning leads UK to add eight countries to warning list

Eight countries have been added to the UK’s watchlist advising travellers of nations with a high risk of methanol poisoning.

The update from the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) follows an increase in the number of UK travellers dying from drinking counterfeit or adulterated alcohol.1

The FCDO added Ecuador, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, and Uganda to its list. They join Cambodia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.

The FCDO has also launched an advertising campaign to advise people from the UK to look out for symptoms such as sudden dizziness, nausea, or blurry vision. Travellers are also being urged to be cautious of free drinks and to stick to licensed bars while …