Almost two years after losing her best friend to methanol poisoning while travelling through south east Asia, an Orpington woman says the campaign launched in her memory has reached a major milestone.
Bethany Clarke, who survived the same poisoning that killed her lifelong friend Simone White, has spent the past 20 months raising awareness of the dangers of methanol-contaminated alcohol.
What began as an online petition following Simone’s death, has grown into meetings with Heathrow Airport and travel industry representatives, the launch of a new campaign group working towards charitable status, and now a nationwide awareness campaign backed by the UK Government.
READ MORE: Fight for change after Orpington traveller dies from spiked alcohol in Laos
This week, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) launched its ‘Know the Signs’ campaign, urging British holidaymakers to recognise the symptoms of methanol poisoning and seek urgent medical attention if they become unwell abroad.
The campaign features testimony from survivors and bereaved families affected by methanol poisoning, including those connected to Simone’s story.
Speaking to the News Shopper, Bethany said seeing the Government take action was one of the biggest achievements since losing her friend.
She said: “The FCDO launched their summer campaign this week, and we had a couple of the campaigners involved — Calum, who lost his eyesight, and Margaret McKie, who lost her daughter Kirsty — who both went on BBC Breakfast.
Have you been a victim of spiking? Share your story with Poppy.Huggett@newsquest.co.uk
“This coincided with the launch of our campaign MethaKnow. We wanted to make sure people could find us on socials in case anyone else has been affected and wants to reach out.”
Bethany said the campaign had grown far beyond anything she expected when she first decided to speak publicly about Simone’s death.
She said: “I think it started with the petition.
“Following that, we’ve had round table meetings, which is good because we’re getting ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents), the Safer Tourism Foundation, airline representatives and airport representatives such as Heathrow involved.
“We’ve also talked about modifying the FCDO guidance. It’s pretty good, but there are a few things we want more clarity on.”
Campaigners are also pushing for greater awareness in airports before travellers board flights, with Heathrow already supporting the Government campaign and other airports beginning to share its messaging.
Bethany believes public awareness around methanol poisoning has changed dramatically since Simone’s death.
She said: “Loads of people comment all the time saying they never knew about it.
“I’ve had people say, ‘I went to Bali and saw this, so I avoided spirits.’ I imagine we’ve reached millions of people by now.
“We’re so glad this campaign is coming from a government level. Originally, we weren’t sure if we would come together.
“Working towards having charity status will hopefully give us more credibility with the help from the Government.”
She hopes insurers, travel companies and social media platforms can now help spread the message further.
Bethany said: “Insurers are going to want to avoid their customers having this problem, so if we can work with them and influence people on social media to avoid high-risk drinks, we’re doing what we can.”
Alongside the Government campaign, Bethany and fellow survivors have launched MethaKnow, a new awareness group which is working towards charitable status.
The organisation has launched a GoFundMe page to help fund peer support groups for survivors and bereaved families, continue awareness campaigns and work towards its long-term ambition of developing methanol testing devices.
Bethany stressed the group is entirely volunteer-led.
She said: “This isn’t a money-making thing. We’re just starting out and we’re recouping our travel costs and that’s about it. We’re all people who have been affected by it.
“We couldn’t honestly do it without the help of these additional volunteers. We think it’s going well.”
Bethany added that another major campaign announcement is expected soon. “The branding costs money and we’re trying to sort the website out," she said.
“It’s a long way off and it’s going to take years to achieve everything we want for the campaign, including chapters in other parts of the world too.”
While campaigning has become a driving force in her life, Bethany admitted she has had to find a healthier balance after months of reliving the trauma.
She said: “When I last spoke with you my nervous system was fried. I haven’t been having intense conversations with anyone.
“I am trying to have a more balanced life. The campaign is something to focus on.”
Bethany and Simone, both from Orpington, had reunited while travelling through south east Asia in November 2024.
After spending the day tubing in the backpacker town of Vang Vieng, Laos, they unknowingly consumed alcohol contaminated with methanol.
The pair initially believed they were suffering from severe hangovers before their condition rapidly worsened.
Bethany survived, but Simone died days later in hospital.
Determined that no other family should experience the same heartbreak, Bethany has spent the past 20 months campaigning for better education, stronger travel advice and greater public awareness.
The FCDO says methanol poisoning can initially resemble alcohol poisoning or a hangover before progressing to more serious symptoms including vision problems, breathlessness and confusion.
Travellers are advised to avoid free shots, unusually cheap spirits and alcohol from unlabelled bottles, and to seek urgent medical attention immediately if methanol poisoning is suspected.
To find out more information visit MethaKnow here.
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