We owe it to victims of fatal poisoning to do better in warning UK travellers of the dangers they face
4 min read
Last November, Simone White was backpacking in Laos with her friend Bethany – following the same path thousands of young travellers from the UK take every year.
In a hostel bar they accepted free shots. The next day both felt sick, assuming it was food poisoning. Days later, Simone was in hospital. Just over a week later, she was dead.
Two years earlier, another life was lost in strikingly similar circumstances. Kirsty McKie, originally from Stockport, had built a successful career as a ceramicist in Bali. She had been living there for eight years, building a business she loved. After a night out with friends, she fell gravely ill. Despite treatment, she died just two days later.
Both women were victims of methanol poisoning – a result of alcohol tainted during poor or illicit production. It takes only a few mouthfuls to be deadly. Even smaller amounts can cause lifelong blindness. What makes this tragedy particularly cruel is how hidden the risk often is: drinks may be offered freely or bought in bars and restaurants that appear legitimate, with no warning signs until it is too late.
The problem is most acute in South East Asia, where hundreds are poisoned every year, but it is far from confined to that region. Fatalities have been recorded in countries as diverse as Turkey, India and Greece. According to Médecins Sans Frontières, more than 1,600 people worldwide have been affected by methanol poisoning since January 2024, with over 700 deaths. Each of those figures represents not just a statistic, but a family grieving a sudden and preventable loss.
We represent the communities Simone and Kirsty’s families come from. Alongside their families and friends, we are determined that some good must come from their loss. Their campaign calls for greater awareness of the dangers of methanol so that other parents, siblings and friends do not face the same devastation. Their courage in speaking out, reliving painful memories to warn others, has been remarkable.
But this is not a cause that can be taken up by families alone. Parliament and government have a duty to act, and progress is beginning to show. In July, the Department for Education announced that Relationship, Sex and Health Education will be updated to include teaching pupils about alcohol safety and the dangers of methanol. Giving young people information before they travel is an essential first step in prevention.
Earlier this month, we convened a roundtable in Parliament bringing together bereaved families, survivors, the Foreign Office and the travel industry. Families spoke with clarity and urgency. They want practical action: warnings in airports and in-flight magazines, greater prominence in Foreign Office travel advice, and joined-up messaging so that travellers cannot miss the risks. Representatives from the industry acknowledged that more can be done, but it will need us all to work together if we are to make a real difference.
Clear, repeated messages delivered in the right places can save lives
In the Commons, we supported a Ten Minute Rule Bill led by Conservative MP Laura Trott, requiring government to provide consistent, prominent guidance about methanol poisoning in countries where the threat is known. This followed a Westminster Hall debate in May where we pressed ministers to step up the response.
International examples show what is possible. Australia’s ‘Sip Safely’ campaign, run through its Smartraveller service, has demonstrated how clear, repeated messages delivered in the right places can save lives.
The families of Simone White and Kirsty McKie have shown extraordinary resilience in turning personal tragedy into public campaigning. We will stand alongside them until travellers are properly warned, the travel industry plays its part, and government does everything it can to protect British citizens abroad.
No family should ever again endure the heartbreak that Simone’s, Kirsty’s and so many others around the world have suffered. With determined action, awareness and international co-operation, these needless deaths can be prevented.
Jim Dickson is Labour MP for Dartford, and Tom Morrison is Liberal Democrat MP for Cheadle
