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Methanol can get into a drink when unsafe distillation leaves or concentrates it, or when someone deliberately substitutes it for beverage alcohol. The body then converts methanol into compounds that can cause severe acidosis and damage the eyes. Methanol can also occur as a byproduct of ordinary fermentation, but it is described as present at safe levels in most alcoholic beverages; that does not make a dangerously contaminated drink safe.
How does methanol get into drinks?
There are three distinct situations. The risk is not simply that a drink is fermented: it is whether unsafe production or deliberate adulteration has created a toxic exposure.
| Pathway | What happens |
|---|---|
| Improper distillation | Methanol may remain in, or become more concentrated in, the final product. The CDC Yellow Book identifies unsafe production as a risk, particularly where alcohol regulation and distribution standards are less strict, and cautions about homemade beverages made under unsafe conditions. CDC Yellow Book guidance on toxic exposures during travel. |
| Deliberate adulteration | Methanol may be used in place of ethanol, the alcohol normally found in alcoholic drinks. The CDC Yellow Book describes this as a separate route from a production error. CDC Yellow Book guidance on toxic exposures during travel. |
| Ordinary fermentation | Methanol is a known fermentation byproduct, but the CDC says it is present at safe levels in most alcoholic beverages. That fact does not establish the safety of a particular product if it was improperly made or adulterated. CDC MMWR account of methanol exposure in Tennessee. |
The CDC recommends choosing reputable brands when traveling, but the cited guidance does not provide a reliable consumer test. Smell, taste, flame color, price, or appearance cannot prove a drink is safe.
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Why is methanol poisonous?
Methanol, also called methyl alcohol (CH₃OH), is a colorless liquid used in industrial and consumer products such as solvents and fuels. It also occurs naturally in humans, animals, plants, and some foods; small natural amounts are not equivalent to a poisoning exposure. CDC/NIOSH: Methanol, systemic agent.
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The main danger after ingestion is what the body does to methanol. It converts it first to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which is present in the body as formate. Formate is normally processed through a folate-dependent pathway toward carbon dioxide and water. When it accumulates faster than it can be cleared, it can cause metabolic acidosis and interfere with cellular respiration, including in the eyes. American Academy of Clinical Toxicology practice guideline abstract (2002).
This process can injure the optic nerve and lead to lasting visual impairment or blindness. Severe poisoning can also cause neurological effects, including movement disorders or encephalopathy. These are possible outcomes, not inevitable results of every exposure. CDC/NIOSH methanol guidance.
What symptoms can methanol poisoning cause, and when?
Early symptoms may resemble ordinary alcohol intoxication or another illness. A person may also feel well for a time before more serious signs appear, so an initially normal appearance does not rule out poisoning.
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| Stage or feature | What may occur | Timing described by the source |
|---|---|---|
| Early or nonspecific effects | Drowsiness, headache, dizziness, confusion, poor coordination, nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain. | CDC/NIOSH says effects may not become apparent until after an asymptomatic period of 1 to 72 hours. CDC/NIOSH methanol guidance. |
| Delayed or severe effects | Blurred or otherwise disturbed vision, abnormal breathing, severe metabolic acidosis, seizures, altered mental status, coma, or death. | A Tennessee CDC MMWR account describes a 6–36-hour latent period in its context; the 2002 clinical guideline gives an approximate 12–24-hour interval. These are source-specific ranges, not a single predictable onset time. Dose and co-ingested ethanol can affect timing. CDC MMWR, Tennessee, January 2016; 2002 clinical guideline abstract. |
What to do if someone may have swallowed methanol
Get emergency medical help immediately, even if the person seems well. Do not induce vomiting. In the United States, CDC/NIOSH directs people to Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222; call 911 if the person cannot wake, has difficulty breathing, or has convulsions. Elsewhere, contact local emergency services or poison advice. CDC/NIOSH emergency guidance.
How is methanol poisoning treated?
Treatment is clinician-directed and may include supportive care, an alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor such as fomepizole or ethanol to limit further production of toxic metabolites, treatment of metabolic acidosis, folinic acid to support formate metabolism, and hemodialysis when indicated to remove methanol or formate and correct severe abnormalities. CDC/NIOSH identifies fomepizole as preferred in its reference card; the 2002 guideline also describes it as preferred in the context of that guideline. Treatment choices depend on the patient and require medical and toxicology expertise. Drinking alcohol is not a safe do-it-yourself antidote. CDC/NIOSH methanol guidance; American Academy of Clinical Toxicology guideline abstract (2002).
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What past outbreaks show—and what their numbers mean
These dated reports demonstrate that contaminated products and unsafe handling can cause serious harm. They are not a current global count or an estimate of present-day risk to beverage drinkers, and the reports use different populations and case definitions.
Quick Recap
| Place and date | Reported figures | Context |
|---|---|---|
| United States, 2011–2014 | 7,183 methanol exposure reports; 33 deaths (0.5%) among reported exposures. Separately, 33 deaths among 510 people with moderate or major toxicity (6.5%). | American Association of Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposure Surveillance System data reported by CDC MMWR in 2016; historical surveillance, not a current beverage-drinker risk estimate. CDC MMWR, 2016. |
| Mexico, May–June 2020 | More than 100 deaths. | WHO INFOSAN linked the deaths to fraudulent alcoholic beverages adulterated with methanol. WHO INFOSAN Quarterly Summary, 2020 #2. |
| Dominican Republic, June 2020 | 215 fatalities and 340 cases. | Outbreak figures reported by WHO INFOSAN. WHO INFOSAN Quarterly Summary, 2020 #2. |
| Cambodia, June 2020 | 43 cases and 7 deaths. | WHO INFOSAN reported an outbreak suspected to be linked to wine. WHO INFOSAN Quarterly Summary, 2020 #2. |
| Tennessee, January 2016 | Two deaths and two nonfatal intoxications. | The CDC report concerned racing fuel described as approximately 100% methanol mixed with a carbonated soft drink—not an ordinary beverage contamination event. CDC MMWR, Tennessee, January 2016. |
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