The UK Foreign Office has added Nigeria and seven others to its travel advisory amid concerns over methanol-laced alcoholic drinks following several poisoning incidents.
The UK Foreign Office has expanded its travel guidance to include Nigeria alongside Ecuador, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Uganda, and Kenya over rising concerns of methanol poisoning in locally sold alcoholic beverages.
The move follows a string of high-profile cases abroad, including the death of six tourists in Laos, that spotlight the danger of tainted or counterfeit alcohol. The advisory warns British travellers to purchase sealed drinks from licensed establishments and to avoid homemade alcohol or pre-mixed cocktails from informal vendors.
Symptoms to watch out for include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, and in more serious cases blurry vision and eventual respiratory failure. The Foreign Office stresses that “it is crucial to be cautious” when consuming alcoholic beverages abroad.