US STATE DEPARTMENT ALERTS TRAVELERS TO MEXICO ABOUT POSSIBLE TAINTED OR COUNTERFEIT ALCOHOL THAT COULD CAUSE SICKNESS OR BLACKOUT

The U.S. State Department is alerting travelers to Mexico about possible tainted or counterfeit alcohol that could cause sickness and blacking out.

The department this week updated its information page specific to Mexico under Safety and Security, cautioning vacationers who choose to drink alcohol to “do so in moderation and to stop and seek medical attention if you begin to feel ill.”

“The safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas is one of our highest priorities,” a department official said in an email to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The updated warning comes in the wake of a Journal Sentinel investigation surrounding a Wisconsin woman’s death that raised questions about drinks being served in all-inclusive resorts in Mexico.

Following the initial report, the Journal Sentinel has received accounts from more than three dozen people reporting similar experiences after drinking limited amounts of alcohol at such resorts.

“Following these reports and in consultation with our Posts in Mexico, we updated our Country Specific Information for Mexico to provide updated safety information regarding potentially tainted alcohol,” the department official said in the email.

The blackouts have happened to men and women, young and old, to singles and to couples, according to interviews with travelers and family members whose loved ones died or were injured at the resorts, as well as hospital records, ambulance receipts, hotel correspondence and other documents

Image & News Courtesy: thespec.com