U.S. Embassy Notice to Americans

June 8, 2009

U.S. Embassy Jakarta
U.S. Consulate General Surabaya
U.S. Consulate Medan

Methanol Poisoning

June 8, 2009

The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta would like to inform U.S. citizens that approximately two dozen individuals, including one American citizen, on the islands of Bali and Lombok have died and a large number sickened recently due to methanol poisoning.  Each of the deaths is reportedly associated with a locally brewed alcoholic beverage called “arak.”  In these cases, the arak beverage had reportedly been spiked with methanol to increase its potency.  The U.S. Embassy strongly recommends that Americans visiting or planning to visit Bali and Lombok exercise extreme caution and avoid consumption of home-distilled traditional arak liquor.

Americans living and traveling in Indonesia are urged to register and update their contact information with the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, U.S. Consulate Medan, or U.S. Consular Agency in Bali.  Registration facilitates the U.S. Mission’s contact with Americans in emergency situations, and may be done on line and in advance of travel.  Information on registering can be found at the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Affairs website at http://travelregistration.state.gov, at the Embassy’s website at http://jakarta.usembassy.gov, or at the Consulate General’s website at http://jakarta.usembassy.gov/sby. All Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, Worldwide Cautions, and recent warden messages are posted on the Embassy website.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, and health-information resources can be found.  Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The Embassy is located at Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 4-5, Jakarta; the 24-hour telephone number is 62-21-3435-9000.  The telephone number of the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya is 62-31-295-6400; the number for the U.S. Consulate in Medan is 62-61-415-2200; and the number for the U.S. Consular Agency in Bali is 62-361-233-605.