Indonesia Enters The UK Version Of Metazero Toxic Country, Residents Affected By The Impact

Methanol illustration. (Freepic)

Tourists traveling abroad are now advised to be more careful when consuming alcoholic beverages, especially cheap, not sealed, or homemade (bootleg).

Drinks like this are at risk of containing methanol, a dangerous substance that can cause blindness to death.

This warning came from the UK's Foreign Office, Commonwealth and Development (FCDO). They expanded the list of countries deemed to have a risk of methanol poisoning, after several cases experienced by British tourists while on vacation.

FCDO has now included eight additional countries on its warning list, including several popular tourist destinations. These countries are Japan, Mexico, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Russia, Kenya, and Bangladesh. Previously similar warnings had been applied to Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

This update is part of the Metazero Toxic Signs campaign aimed at increasing tourist awareness about the dangers of mixed or fake drinks.

Hamish Falconer, British Consular Minister said methanol poisoning could be very deadly and difficult to detect at first because of its symptoms similar to ordinary alcohol poisoning.

"When serious symptoms begin to appear, it is often too late to save the victim," he said, quoted from the Euro News page.

A number of tragic events are of concern, including:

- In Hoi An, Vietnam, a British tourist and a South African resident died after allegedly drinking homemade limousineello.

- In Vang Vieng, Laos, six tourists died from alcohol containing methanol.

- In Indonesia, especially Bali, Lombok, and Gili, there have been more than 300 cases of methanol poisoning since 2019. Many cases related to adulterated drinks known as arak are sold in small shops and are often bought by tourists.

Metazero is industrial alcohol used in cleaning fluids, paints, or antifreezes. Methanol has a shape and taste similar to ordinary alcohol (ethenol), making it difficult to distinguish. But methanol is highly toxic. Only about one small dose (30 ml) can cause death within 1248 hours.

Early symptoms of methanol poisoning include mual, vomiting, dizziness, to confusion. Symptoms can worsen to visual problems, seizures, respiratory failure, and death. Methanol is odorless and odorless, tourists often do not realize the danger until late.

Safe Tips When Consuming Alcohol Abroad

FCDO advises tourists to:

- Buying drinks only from official and licensed places

- Ensure the bottle is sealed and never opened before

- Avoid homemade alcohol or without labels

-Beware of drinks served in containers such as buckets or jugs, often sold in tourist destinations in Southeast Asia.