22-year-old man dies in SP ten months after suffering methanol poisoning
Guilherme Torres da Silva, aged 22, was buried this Monday (15), in the capital of São Paulo, after dying after spending ten months fighting for his life as a result of drinking a drink contaminated by methanol.
Resident of Itapecerica da Serra, Guilherme was admitted to the M'Boi Mirim Municipal Hospital on August 16, 2025, on suspicion of poisoning, after consuming a few doses of gin bought in a wine cellar next to his house and starting to feel unwell.
Initially, he thought it was "just a hangover", but he had to be taken to the hospital, where he suffered several cardiac arrests. Guilherme ended up intubated and breathing on machines.
The young man spent around 10 months fighting the serious consequences. He was paralyzed and began to use a wheelchair.
The family created the profile "Methanol Cure", where they shared his recovery routine daily, including his physiotherapy sessions, in addition to starting an online fundraising campaign to help pay for the treatment.
On the morning of last Tuesday (16), family members published a note of condolence on social media informing of the young man's death.
See this photo on Instagram
A post shared by Cura do methanol, Guilherme Torres (@curadometanol)
The family also expressed gratitude for the support received during the treatment period and at the burial.
"Thank you very much to everyone who attended the burial and to those who helped us so far in every possible way, with contributions, donations and positive messages throughout this entire journey. Our mourning will be eternal, but the good memories will remain", wrote the family.
In a statement, the City of Itapecerica da Serra informed that it is awaiting receipt of the reports to confirm the cause of death and assess whether there is a connection with the poisoning case previously investigated.
"Only after these analyzes have been completed by the competent bodies will it be possible to confirm whether the case is related to the event that occurred in 2025", says the note.
To date, eight people have died in the state of São Paulo as a result of methanol poisoning.
Understand the case
Between September and October 2025, the crisis of methanol poisoning in adulterated drinks generated a public health alert and killed mainly young adults in different Brazilian states. The state of São Paulo accumulated the highest number of incidents, with more than 50 suspected and confirmed cases.
The substance, which is colorless and odorless, leads to treacherous symptoms that resemble a common hangover, such as nausea, vomiting and dizziness. However, between 6 and 24 hours after consumption, serious signs appear, such as blurred vision and blindness, which may be irreversible.
Read also: Methanol in drinks: see who the victims of poisoning cases are | CNN Brasil
Methanol in drinks: third death in São Paulo is confirmed | CNN NEW DAY
By the end of 2025, 51 people had been arrested for some type of involvement in drink poisoning in São Paulo.
According to a state government report, more than 21,400 bottles and more than 121,800 empty containers were seized. More than 105.2 thousand inputs and 480 thousand labels were also collected.
*Under the supervision of Carolina Figueiredo
Source: CNN