Toxic Drinks, Real Deaths: The Methanol Scandal Sweeping São Paulo

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Casper Libero chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

September 16, 2025. The day the first death was confirmed. The cause? An alcoholic beverage with Methanol on it. The scandal has taken over the most populated state in Brazil, São Paulo (SP). The first victim was 54 years old CEO,  Ricardo Lopes Mira.

The victim fell ill on September 12th and died on the 16th, four days after having the adulterated drink. His symptoms were: “reduced consciousness, dyspnea and neck stiffness”, in addition to “exogenous ethyl alcohol poisoning, ketoacidosis and cerebral edema”, according to the death certificate. 

Following Ricardo’s death, 29 additional cases were confirmed, 5 of which were fatal, while 246 others remain under investigation at the time of publication. The cases have also spread to two other states: Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and Paraná (PR).

What methanol does to our body?: 

To get deeper on what is happening with the contaminated drinks, it is necessary to understand what are the effects that this substance does to our body and immunity. The chemical engineer Luis Felipe Lobo, explains the risks: “Methanol is a type of alcohol very similar to ethanol, which is the alcohol in beverages. The difference is that methanol is used more in industrial processes, as a solvent, fuel or chemical raw material”. That means, the taste is the same, but the effects are far more deadly.

When this chemical substance is exposed to our body, it can cause serious damage. “The problem is that when the body tries to metabolize methanol, it ends up generating highly toxic substances, such as formaldehyde and formic acid. These compounds affect the nervous system and can cause blindness or even death, even in small amounts.” Confirms.

But why is this happening now? This is still unknown to the authorites. The investigation is not over, but so far there is no culprit, expeculations online have tried to guess what could be happening. So far there are only theories and no satisfying answer.

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The best alternative is to be safe and wary of what you ingest, and maybe stay out of alcohol for a while.

The article above was edited by Rafaela Navarro