The crisis of falsified and adulterated beverages with methanol resulted in 25 confirmed deaths in 2025, evidencing a serious public health problem in the country. According to the Ministry of Health, 76 cases of methanol intoxication associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages were recorded, of which 25 were fatal.
The topic was debated during the Illegal Market Seminar, where participants highlighted that beverage piracy goes beyond commercial fraud and can become a serious sanitary problem, putting lives at risk. The repression of the production and trade of illegal products was identified as a challenge that requires integration between governments and the productive sector.
According to the president of ABBD (Brazilian Association of Distilled Spirits), José Eduardo Cidade, 28% of the volume of distilled spirits commercialized in Brazil presents some type of illegality, including tax evasion, smuggling, and contraband. The seminar exposed the need for the country to reinforce the fight against this type of crime.
