When 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, external campaign, to understand the dangers and take steps to help protect themselves while abroad.
MacDonald, who is in his 20s and from Surrey, told 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 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.”