Heathrow Airport has updated its website with advice for passengers, warning of potential methanol poisoning and drink spiking risks during holidays. The blog, titled 'Summer travel reminders for staying safe', was published on July 8, 2026, and emphasizes the importance of staying aware of safety risks abroad.
Drink spiking precautions
The airport highlights that drink spiking can happen anywhere and advises simple precautions to keep travelers safe. Spiking involves secretly adding drugs, alcohol, or other harmful substances to a drink without consent, often to enable theft, sexual assault, or rape. Symptoms include feeling more drunk than expected, drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, or memory blackouts.
To reduce risk, Heathrow recommends never leaving drinks unattended, avoiding drinks from strangers, and watching over friends and travel companions. The official UK Government’s Travel Aware campaign notes that spiking is not always obvious, so travelers should trust their instincts if something feels wrong.
Methanol poisoning risks
Heathrow also warns about methanol poisoning from counterfeit or poorly produced alcohol in some destinations. Methanol is toxic even in small amounts; medical experts believe as little as 30ml can be fatal for an adult, and 10ml can cause blindness. It is an industrial alcohol found in products like antifreeze and paint thinners, sometimes illegally mixed with spirit-based drinks and cocktails.
To minimize risk, travelers should avoid free cocktails or shots, unlabelled bottles, and unusually cheap or discounted alcohol claiming to be brand-name. They should be cautious with spirit-based drinks like cocktails or shots, choose branded beers, ciders, wines, and premixed cocktails in sealed containers, and only buy drinks from licensed establishments.
