In October 1985 authorities in multiple European countries uncovered a widespread public-health crisis: commercially distributed alcoholic beverages, including wine and spirits, had been adulterated with methanol (methyl alcohol), a toxic solvent. The contamination led to dozens of deaths, hundreds of serious poisonings and long-term blindness for many survivors. The scandal prompted cross-border police cooperation, criminal prosecutions and regulatory scrutiny of production and distribution channels. Background and discovery Methanol is chemically similar to ethanol (drinking alcohol) but is metabolized to formaldehyde and formic acid, which can cause metabolic acidosis, visual impairment and death even at relatively low doses. Adulteration with methanol typically occurs when producers or traffickers add cheap industrial alcohol to beverage alcohol to increase volume or potency. In 1985 clinicians and toxicologists began reporting clusters of patients with unexplained acute visual loss and toxic metabolic profiles after consuming alcoholic drinks. Epidemiological links to particular brands and batches of wine and spirits led public-health agencies to issue warnings and remove contaminated products from sale. Geographic scope and impact Cases were reported across several countries in Western and Central Europe. Precise numbers vary by country and source; overall the incident is remembered as having caused dozens of fatalities and many more victims with severe, sometimes permanent, injuries. The crisis affected both legally produced and illicitly distributed beverages, with investigations showing that some criminal networks had been substituting or blending methanol-containing industrial alcohol into consumable products. Investigations and prosecutions National police forces and health authorities launched inquiries into production sites, distribution chains and import sources. Some responsible parties—ranging from small-scale illicit producers to middlemen—were prosecuted in various jurisdictions. The scandal exposed gaps in regulatory oversight, quality control and the tracing of bulk alcohol supplies. It also underscored difficulties in cross-border coordination: alcoholic beverages produced or bottled in one country were sometimes sold across borders, complicating recalls and legal actions. Responses and reforms In the aftermath, several countries tightened controls on industrial alcohol sales, improved labeling and batch-tracing requirements for alcoholic beverages, and increased laboratory screening for methanol and other contaminants. Public-health advisories and clinician alerts improved early recognition of methanol poisoning, and treatment protocols (including use of fomepizole or ethanol as antidotes and timely hemodialysis when indicated) were disseminated more widely. Legacy The 1985 methanol adulteration cases remain a cited example of the risks posed by contaminated or counterfeit alcoholic products and of the need for vigilant regulation and international cooperation. While the precise toll and legal outcomes varied by country, the incident contributed to lasting improvements in surveillance, emergency clinical response and controls on industrial alcohol distribution. Some details—such as exact victim counts in particular jurisdictions and the full list of convicted individuals—are reported differently in contemporary sources, reflecting the piecemeal and cross-border nature of the investigations.