Methanol Poisoning - Staying Safe & Recognising the Symptoms
Over the past few years, there have been an alarming number of reports in the media about travellers suffering irreversible damage and dying from methanol poisoning.
Methanol is a highly poisonous substance and even in small doses, it can be lethal. It’s typically used in cleaning products, but it is sometimes illegally added to alcoholic drinks and bootleg spirits as a cheap way to make them go further. It can also occur accidentally during the fermenting process.
The risks of tainted alcohol are not isolated to any one hostel, village, city or country - it can and does happen in places around the world. Incidents have been reported in the last five years in Laos, Indonesia, Mexico, Vietnam, India, Turkey and Peru, to name a few. So it's worth being aware of this risk wherever you travel and to take action to keep yourself safe. The Foreign Office has recently updated travel advice for a number of countries, acknowledging that this is a serious issue in some parts of the world.
Tips for staying safe
Our advice is to take a moment and think, and look out for a few red flags:
Spirits tend to be the main culprits - vodka, gin or cheap cocktails are high risk.
If drinks or shots are being offered for free, think twice. Or walk away!
Only buy alcohol from licensed bars or restaurants and avoid anything 'home-made'. While it might be tempting to go for an 'authentic local drink', it's not worth the risk.
If it’s in a bottle, look at the label - any spelling mistakes or lack of a manufacturer’s address are major indicators that something is amiss.
Buy your own spirits from duty free in the airports to keep with you on your trip.
One of the best ways to avoid the risk is to Steer Clear and Drink Beer.
Drink Aware and Interpol recommend thinking about the 4 P’s - Place, Price, Packaging and Product. Think about where you get your drinks from. If the drinks are far cheaper than they should be, or offered for free, there's more of a chance they've found an illegal way to cut costs. Check the packaging for any indications it's been tampered with or 'faked'. And finally, if the drink itself smells like paint stripper, it probably is.
What to do if you suspect you might have methanol poisoning
It’s important to be able to recognise the signs of methanol poisoning. Early symptoms are like being drunk - drowsiness, a headache, lack of focus. The major symptoms begin with 12 to 14 hours of consuming the methanol and are often similar to a bad hangover, but one that will not go away. Abdominal pain, chest pain, vomiting and hyperventilation are the key symptoms to pay attention to.
The Sip Safe Abroad campaign in Australia helps travellers understand which symptoms they should look out for
If you suspect you might have methanol poisoning, you must seek medical treatment right away! There are ways to treat it, but only if caught early. If not treated in time, it can lead to brain damage, blindness or death. Medicine Sans Frontieres has excellent resources on their website.
Most of us travel with others. Talk to your friends or whoever you are travelling with. If anyone is in the least bit concerned about where you’re drinking, what you’re drinking or who the drinks came from, it’s best to listen to them and go somewhere else.
A free drink is never worth your life.