Tragedy after the female tourist’s drunkenness

Ashley King had a dream journey in 2011, when she was just 18 years old and in a “gap year” before going to college. She just had a month’s vacation in Bali, Indonesia and is about to leave for New Zealand. Everything was so great for her at that time that Ashley thought she would postpone college for another year to work abroad.

On the last night in Bali, the Canadian female tourist and a few other new tourists went to a bar in the Kuta entertainment area. Here, they were served cocktails in plastic bottles.

The next morning, she flew to Auckland so exhausted that she couldn’t move and believed that this was the result of being drunk the night before. In the motel room, she touched the iPod screen but it didn’t light up. The lighting in the room was also so dark that it was difficult for her to see things. The headache increased and she had difficulty breathing.

Finally, Ashley realized she wasn’t drunk at all. She suffered from methanol poisoning and suspected that the cocktails she drank in Kuta were likely mixed with this solvent, instead of pure alcohol. In fact, her iPod screen had no problem and was still lit normally. Ashley had a new problem with her eyes – she was blind, the result of methanol poisoning.

Before that, she had heard word-of-mouth stories about adulterated wine. But she believes she is careful enough, the risk only exists in “sidewalk” drinking places.

Ashley carefully researched Bali and recommendations before coming. Therefore, she used to think that the possibility of being attacked by a shark was higher than going blind.

Methanol is odorless, transparent, and occurs naturally during the distillation of alcohol but can cause deadly side effects.

In November 2024, 6 tourists died in the famous backpacking town of Vang Vieng, Laos after drinking alcohol mixed with methanol. Among the victims were two Australian teenagers who were on a “gap year” in Southeast Asia and a British doctor.

Asta Man, senior communications specialist at the medical organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF), said the majority of methanol poisoning cases occur in poor areas where poor quality alcohol markets exist.

According to her, it is very rare for anyone to intentionally poison a series of people in this way. Methanol is a natural byproduct of the distillation process, but not everyone has enough technical knowledge or equipment to completely eliminate this substance in production.

Cases of international tourists being poisoned on holiday often attract a lot of attention, but the majority of methanol poisoning cases occur at parties, weddings or crowded events – especially in countries with alcohol bans or limited supplies, leading to uncontrolled distillation. Alcohol testing can be expensive, causing many people to take risks and still drink.

“In some places, people almost accept this as a risk when drinking spirits. They may not know exactly what methanol is,” Man said.

MSF recommends that visitors drink wine and beer directly from cans or bottles, and check that spirits are poured from bottles with intact labels. The organization also recommends learning about the symptoms of methanol poisoning, such as blurred vision or loss of vision, to avoid confusing it with a normal hangover.

Even though she’s blind, King is still considered one of the lucky ones – at least she’s alive. However, methanol exposure can lead to a range of long-term health problems, including liver disease and significantly increased risk of certain types of cancer.

Before losing her sight, Ashley King planned to major in theater. She later wrote a play inspired by her personal experiences, which was adapted into a four-part podcast called “Static: A Party Girl’s Memoir”.

However, making your personal story public also comes with many difficulties – and even discrimination. Many people on social media blamed her for drinking in the first place, claiming that her complete blindness was the result of her own poor choices.

For Stephanie Boyle, stories like Ashley King’s play a vital role in raising public awareness of a danger that can lurk right in front of our eyes.

Boyle works at the Safer Tourism Foundation – which, as the name suggests, aims to make travel safer. The organization was founded 10 years ago by a British woman after her two young children died in Greece of carbon monoxide poisoning in a vacation home the family rented.

The foundation’s work was later expanded to warn about many other potential risks that travelers may encounter on the road, including raising awareness of the risks of methanol exposure.

However, the biggest obstacle lies not in the lack of information, but in the lack of concern – because few people want to hear scary warnings before a trip.

Boyle believes the most effective way to spread the message is to tell true stories like Ashley King’s. When community messages are associated with specific people, it is easier for others to pay attention.

Asta Man believes that it is necessary to apply a two-pronged approach. MSF not only issues warning information to the community but also goes directly to areas at high risk of methanol poisoning to train doctors on how to recognize and treat the symptoms.

Currently, the British Foreign Office website lists countries at risk related to methanol poisoning as Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Thailand, Turkey.

In fact, 99% of the time, everything goes smoothly. Everyone enjoys the holiday. Many tourists go to Laos, Cambodia or Thailand without any problems. But sometimes, bad things still happen, according to Ms. Asta.

Boyle believes that small changes over time can have a big impact. She gives examples of safety habits that most travelers today take for granted: wearing a seat belt, using a phone locator app, or applying sunscreen.

“I want everyone to enjoy their trip to the fullest. When you think about safety measures, you can do your best during your travels,” Asta Man said.