Seven in ten Brazilians (67%) are concerned about the risk of consuming — or seeing family and friends consume — alcoholic beverages adulterated with methanol, according to a survey by Ipsos-Ipec.
Despite widespread concern, the study shows that 53% of alcoholic beverage consumers rarely or never check the origin of the products at the time of purchase. Only 34% say they always or most of the time check, observing labels, seals and seals.
The topic is widely known by the population: 94% of those interviewed said they had heard of cases of poisoning due to adulterated drinks. Traditional media was the main source of information (72%), followed by social networks (52%), especially among younger people.
Among those who consume alcohol and were aware of the cases, 54% said they had changed their behavior — 17% started consuming only beer and 14% temporarily stopped consuming any type of alcoholic beverage. 44% maintained their habits.
“The research reveals extensive knowledge about cases of poisoning, but there is a gap between the concern about drinking a drink adulterated with methanol and the low level of verification of origin at the point of sale among consumers”, says Márcia Cavallari, director of Ipsos-Ipec.
The survey interviewed 2,000 people in 132 municipalities between the 24th and 28th of October 2025. Last Thursday (5), the Ministry of Health announced that the intoxication rate had risen to 60.
