The airport upaded its website on July 8, 2026
Heathrow Airport has urged people to stay safe amid a risk of “poisoning” when on holiday. Officials uploaded a blog on July 8 of this year, warning that some travellers may be at risk of methanol poisoning and spiking.
Entitled ‘Summer travel reminders for staying safe’, Heathrow Airport‘s message stated: “While holidays are all about relaxing and enjoying yourself, it’s important to stay aware of a few key safety risks that can arise when you’re abroad.”
Talking about spiking, it stresses that “drink spiking can happen anywhere. Simple precautions can help keep you safe and give you peace of mind.”
Spiking is when someone secretly adds drugs, alcohol, or another harmful substance to your drink without your knowledge or consent. This is often done to make you feel confused, drowsy, unconscious, or unable to control what is happening.
It is a serious crime and may be carried out to enable other offences. This could include theft, sexual assault or rape.
To reduce the risk:
- Never leave your drink unattended
- Avoid accepting drinks from strangers
- Keep an eye on your friends and travel companions
How to spot spiking
The official UK Government’s Travel Aware campaign stresses it’s not always obvious when a drink has been tampered with, or you have been spiked, but there are signs to look out for, including:
- Feeling more drunk than you should, drowsy, or confused.
- Some people experience hallucinations, paranoia, and memory blackouts.
- Trust your gut – if something feels wrong, it probably is.
Methanol poisoning
Heathrow Airport also notes that some people could be at risk of methanol poisoning. It explains: “In some destinations, counterfeit or poorly produced alcohol can contain methanol, which is extremely dangerous.”
The Travel Aware campaign writes: “Methanol is toxic even in small amounts. It is an industrial alcohol made from distilling wood and can be found in many commercial products, like antifreeze, fuel and paint thinners. In some parts of the world methanol products are sometimes illegally mixed with ‘real’ alcohol such as spirit-based drinks and cocktails.
“Medical experts believe that as little as 30ml (roughly equivalent to a shot) of methanol can be fatal for an adult, while 10ml can cause blindness.”
To reduce your risk:
- Avoid free cocktails or shots, unlabelled bottles and unusually cheap or discounted drinks claiming to be brand-name alcohol.
- Be careful about spirit-based drinks such as those ‘on the rocks’, shots, cocktails, buckets or jugs.
- Choose branded beers, ciders, wines and premixed cocktails in sealed bottles and cans.
- Stick to licensed places: buy drinks from licenced stores, bars, clubs, restaurants and hotels. Avoid homemade, ‘bootleg’ or streetside alcohol.
You can read how to spot the signs and reduce the risk of methanol poisoning here.
