US State Dept warns of Mexican dangers
The US State Department recently updated its safety and security guidance regarding travel to Mexico, following the release of an investigation surrounding a US citizen’s questionable death at a resort in Mexico. Last January, a 20-year-old woman from Wisconsin and her older brother were found unconscious in the pool after drinking at the resort swim-up bar. They were immediately taken to a local hospital, but the woman died a few days later. The recent investigation has shown that tainted alcohol or low-quality drinks might have been one of the causes for her death and her brother’s injuries.
News organisations have also issued reports about other tourists who claim that they experienced blackouts, sickness and injuries after drinking at resorts around the Cancun and Playa del Carmen area in recent months. In some cases, the tourists were victims of a crime, but in others there was no apparent motive. There is also no pattern to the incidents, which have happened to men and women, young and old, single and married tourists.
According to the Mexican National Health Authority, over 1.4 million gallons of impure alcohol have been seized since 2010. Tainted alcohol is liquor that is infused with grain alcohol or dangerous concentrations of methanol, which are cheaper alternatives to producing ethanol. The mixture can make people extremely sick.