Methanol spiking in Laos: How to stay safe when drinking whilst travelling. 

Recent events in Vang Vieng, Laos, have rocked the travelling community. A popular destination for backpackers who are seeking a lively nightlight and sports focused fun, the small town will now also be remembered for a harrowing tragedy: the death of six people to suspected methanol poising. 

Before considering how we, as travellers, can stay safe when dipping in and out of different cultures, I feel we need to take a moment to remember the victims: Holly Bowles (19), Bianca Jones (19), Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman (20), Freja Vennervald Sorensen (21), Simone White (28) and James Louis Hutson (57). 

White’s mother, Sue, reported her devastation to The Sunday Times and warned travellers, “Please be careful when it comes to drinks. Simone was a university-educated, highly intelligent person. If it can happen to her, it can happen to anybody.”

When I became aware of what happened and began reading about it, I was shocked and upset, but I also understood what Sue was saying – it really can happen to anyone. I began to reflect my own experiences, the bar crawls I went on in Berlin and Bratislava in particular, and how common it was to receive a free shot at each bar as part of the package. Does anyone watch these shots been poured? Does anyone ask what liquid they’re giving us?

It is so easy to get swept up in the moment when you’re travelling, especially when you’re going out to party with friends. However, we must pay more attention to how we drink and what we drink. A free shot may sound great in the moment, but it could cost you your life. 

Given the seriousness of this, it is essential that the advice you consume on protecting yourself when travelling is from a reliable source. The UK Foreign Office have recently updated their travel advice on their website, advising British nationals should ‘take care’ if buying or offered free spirit-based drinks. They have provided a list of how to protect yourself which advises travellers to:

• buy alcoholic beverages only from licensed liquor stores
• buy drinks only at licensed bars and hotels
• avoid home-made alcoholic drinks
• check bottle seals are intact
• check labels for poor print quality or incorrect spelling

I would also like to add to this list and point out that you should never accept a drink from a stranger. Whilst their intentions may seem generous, it is not worth the risk to your health if the drink is spiked. You should always watch your drink been made and where you can, buy bottled drinks which have been unopened. Methanol is tasteless, odourless and its effects are serious, with serious cases leading to blindness, brain damage and death.

Travelling is incredibly fun, but there are things you need to be aware of in order to do it safely. So, skip the spirits and be careful with what you consume, you may just end up saving your own life.