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Methanol: Poisoning

Asked by Tom MorrisonLiberal DemocratForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 12 March 2025UIN 35430

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has reviewed the effectiveness of warnings on methanol poisoning on its website; and what steps he is taking to ensure those warnings reach young travellers.

Answered by Mr Hamish Falconer

Since November 2024 the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has proactively communicated the risks of methanol poisoning to British travellers through Travel Aware, the FCDO's public-facing campaign that aims to prevent consular assistance cases. This includes:

  • a dedicated drink spiking and methanol poisoning page on the Travel Aware website: https//travelaware.campaign.gov.uk/spiking-and-methanol-poisoning;
  • regular Travel Aware social media posts (X, Facebook, Instagram), directing audiences to the webpage;
  • work with Student Brand Ambassadors (youth-focussed content creators) to raise awareness;
  • work with Travel Aware industry partners, including ABTA, who have shared information with relevant audiences.

We regularly review our social media engagement. Travel Aware methanol-related posts received 41,103 views in the period 28 November 2024 - 6 March 2025.

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