Travellers warned of methanol poisoning risks in new campaign

When Calum MacDonald visited a bar in Laos he experienced “a blinding kaleidoscopic light” permanently impairing his vision, less than two days after having a drink.

Like a number of other travellers, MacDonald had been poisoned by methanol.

As thousands of holidaymakers prepare for travel, MacDonald is part of a UK government campaign, external raising awareness of the risks that turned his life upside down.

MacDonald, who is in his 20s and from Surrey, told BBC Breakfast he was unaware of the dangers when travelling in 2024 and if he had known “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.”