The UK government has launched a new campaign to warn travellers about the dangers of methanol poisoning, following the death of a British woman in Laos. Bethany Clarke, whose best friend Simone White died after unknowingly consuming methanol-laced shots, praised the initiative.
Fatal night out in Vang Vieng
In November 2024, Clarke and White were holidaying in Vang Vieng, Laos. They became seriously ill the next day, initially thinking they had severe hangovers. However, they had unwittingly taken shots laced with methanol. Both were hospitalised; Clarke recovered, but White, 28, died days later from irreversible brain damage.
White was one of six fatalities linked to free drinks at the Nana Backpacker Hostel. Two Australian teenagers, an American, and two Danish tourists also died. An inquest earlier this year heard that Australian Federal Police found no evidence hostel workers contaminated the drinks. An investigation into the distillery owner and workers is ongoing.
MethaKnow campaign launched
In White's honour, Clarke launched an online petition and met with Heathrow Airport and travel industry representatives. This week, the UK government backed her 'MethaKnow' campaign, which has applied for charitable status. Clarke said: 'The FCDO launched their summer campaign this week, and we had a couple of the campaigners involved... This coincided with the launch of our campaign, MethaKnow. We wanted to make sure people could find us on socials in case anyone else has been affected.'
Clarke believes public awareness has grown since White's death: 'Loads of people comment all the time, saying they never knew about it. I've had people say, “I went to Bali and saw this, so I avoided spirits.” I imagine we've reached millions of people by now.' She added: 'Working towards having charity status will hopefully give us more credibility with the help from the Government.'
Government 'Know the Signs' campaign
On July 15, the Foreign Office launched its 'Know the Signs' campaign. A total of 29 destinations now have methanol poisoning warnings on UK travel advice, including Laos and Vietnam. Minister for Consular Hamish Falconer MP said: 'No one expects a holiday to end in tragedy, yet methanol poisoning can have devastating – and sometimes fatal – consequences. The courage of survivors and bereaved families in sharing their experiences will help raise awareness and could save lives.'
Symptoms and risks of methanol poisoning
Methanol is a clear, colourless, flammable liquid not meant for human consumption. Toxic even in small amounts, as little as 30ml (roughly a shot) can be fatal for an adult. 4-10ml can cause visual hallucinations and blindness. Symptoms take 12 to 48 hours to appear and mimic alcohol poisoning.
Early signs include vomiting, poor judgement, loss of balance, and drowsiness. Later symptoms include abdominal pain, vertigo, hyperventilation, breathlessness, blurred vision or blindness, coma, and convulsions. The government urges immediate medical attention if symptoms appear.
Clarke hopes insurers and travel companies will do more. She said: 'Insurers are going to want to avoid their customers having this problem, so if we can work with them and influence people on social media to avoid high-risk drinks, we're doing what we can.' Falconer urged people to 'check the latest travel advice for your destination and act quickly if something doesn't feel right. When drinking spirits overseas, use reputable venues, purchase sealed drinks, and avoid homemade alcohol or free shots.'
