Travellers warned of methanol poisoning risks in new campaign
BBCWhen Calum MacDonald visited a bar in Laos he later experienced "a blinding kaleidoscopic light", permanently impairing his vision, less than two days after having a drink.
The cause was methanol poisoning, and the government is now launching an awareness campaign to highlight the risks.
As thousands of holidaymakers prepare for summer travel, people are being urged, with the government's Know the Signs campaign, to understand the dangers and take steps to help protect themselves while abroad.
MacDonald, who is in his 20s and from Surrey, told BBC Breakfast he was unaware of the risks when travelling in 2024 and if he knew "I probably would be in a different situation today".
Methanol is a highly toxic industrial strength form of alcohol that can sometimes be found in counterfeit, illegally produced or contaminated alcoholic drinks.
As little as 30ml - about a single shot - can be fatal to an adult, while smaller amounts can cause serious and permanent harm, including blindness.
Twenty-nine destinations now carry methanol poisoning warnings on UK government travel advice, including popular tourist destinations such as Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam.
Among those to die after consuming methanol was Margaret McKie's 38-year-old daughter Kirsty.
Kirsty, originally from Stockport, was living in Bali and engaged to a man who owned a wine business and restaurant, so was cautious about only buying alcohol from reputable suppliers.
"When Kirsty became ill it didn't occur to her for a second that [methanol poisoning] was what could be wrong," McKie told BBC Breakfast.
"She was fairly tired, she'd been working hard, she'd had a couple of drinks, she just thought she had a hangover, she didn't seek help and when she lost consciousness her fiance got her to the hospital and by that point it was too late to save her."
McKie argued it was important for people to not only be prevented from drinking alcohol laced with methanol but to also understand the symptoms to get help in time.
Some of the symptoms include feeling more drunk than usual, having what feels like a hangover that gets worse over the next 12 to 48 hours, breathlessness, stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, vision problems and mental confusion.
"Look out for your friends, if you notice a friend who seems more ill, get them help," McKie said.
MacDonald also advised people look out for each other while travelling and to know the risks.
"Enjoy your travel but ultimately it's really important to have all the information that you possibly can before you do go to these places because I think ultimately it's very difficult to ultimately eliminate all risk," he said.
"If you have the information at hand and you can recognise situations in which you might be at higher risk and you can recognise the symptoms and then you can mitigate those risks and do the best you can to look after yourself and look after your friends."
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said the government was using the campaign to amplify its own travel advice and was also partnering with influencers on TikTok and YouTube to reach young people.
"We're trying to make it get out with all the channels," Falconer said on BBC Breakfast.
