Is Methanol Poisonous?
Yes. As with many other fuels, methanol can be highly toxic and should never be taken orally. A few teaspoons of methanol can cause blindness and a few tablespoons can be fatal, if the exposure is not treated.
It should be noted that the human body can metabolize and eliminate low concentrations of methanol with no ill effects.
(Methanol is present in many cooked vegetables, and the artificial sweetener in diet soft drinks breaks down into methanol
during digestion.) Methanol becomes poisonous only when it overwhelms the body's capacity to remove it. Toxic effects do not
occur until several hours after exposure. Effective antidotes to methanol poisoning are readily available and can be administered
during this interim period.