Bethany Clarke, 28, from London, went backpacking around southeast Asia with her best friend, Simone White, 28, last year, and tragically died after drinking methanol-laced shots
The best friend of a Brit who died after drinking bootleg alcohol abroad has told how she slowly became ill after taking shots as she called for more action to stop methanol poisoning.
This week the Foreign Office added eight further countries to the risk list for methanol poisoning due to risks associated with counterfeit or tainted alcoholic drinks. The list already covered Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Costa Rica and Fiji.
Ecuador, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Russia and Uganda are now included in the list following incidents. Methanol poisoning results from methanol being added to drinks such as cocktails and spirits to up the volume and cut costs.
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Signs of the poisoning include nausea, vomiting, dizziness and confusion – and more distinctive symptoms, such as vision issues, can develop between 12 and 48 hours after consumption.
Bethany Clarke, 28, from Orpington, London, went backpacking around southeast Asia with her best friend, Simone White, 28, last year. Both the women unwittingly took methanol-laced shots and became ill – and methanol poisoning became fatal for Simone.
Bethany has described the news of more countries being added to the list as “heartbreaking” but says “there is a lot more work to be done”.
Bethany, who now lives in Brisbane, Australia, said: “It’s a good thing more countries are being added to the list to make more people aware. But there’s a lot more than needs to be done. It’s highly likely there will be more deaths unless the British government act in a more radical way.
“It’s got to be in people’s heads – stick to canned drinks and sealed bottles you opened yourself.” Bethany and Simone started their backpacking in Cambodia and went from there to Laos.
They had spent the day tubing down the river – a popular tourist activity – before returning to their hostel for a night of drinking. Bethany said: “We had methanol-laced shots. We had five or six each, just mixing them with Sprite. The next morning, we didn’t feel right, but we just assumed it was a hangover.
“It was strange though – unlike any hangover I’d had before. It felt like being drunk but in a way where you couldn’t enjoy it. Something was just off.” Despite their condition, they continued with their plans, heading to the Blue Lagoon and kayaking down the river again.
Bethany added: “We were just lying on the backs of the kayaks, too weak to paddle. Simone was being sick off one of them. Neither of us wanted to swim or eat – which, we later learned, are early signs of methanol poisoning.” It wasn’t until hours later, after they’d boarded a bus to their next destination, that things worsened with Bethany fainting and Simone continuing to vomit.
Eventually, they were taken to a local hospital – one that Bethany described as “very poor”. She said: “They had no idea what was wrong, they talked about food poisoning, but we hadn’t eaten the same things. It didn’t make sense.”
Still confused and deteriorating, the group made it to a private hospital. But by then it was too late. Bethany said: “They told me they’d do all they could to save her. She was having seizures during dialysis.” When Simone’s condition worsened, her mother, Sue White, flew out to Laos, arriving just as her daughter was being wheeled into emergency brain surgery.
Bethany said: “Her brain had started to swell, and they had to shave her head. The surgery relieved the pressure but caused bleeding and the other side started swelling.” The results confirming methanol poisoning wouldn’t arrive until two weeks later. By then, Simone had died.
Bethany said: “On an emotional level, its been a lot to process. Sometimes I still think ‘why don’t you reach out to Simone for that?’ and then I remember I can’t.” Bethany has channelled her grief into campaigning for change and awareness. She said: ” People still aren’t aware and don’t know the signs to look for.
“The government aren’t doing enough to educate British citizens about the signs of methanol poisoning. In Australia, where I live now, they have a big TikTok campaign and signs in all the airports. There’s a lot more work to be done in the UK – we’re behind. Anywhere there is organised crime, the opportunity exists – even in the UK.
“It happened in Scotland this year – after people found counterfeit bottles of Glen’s Vodka containing chemicals.” Bethany reckons there will be more deaths until people become more aware.
She said: “It’s highly likely we’ll see more deaths unless the UK government act in a more radical way. It has to be in people’s heads – stick to canned drinks. But bottles can be more risky because the cap could have been replaced. Any spirits can be a risk. I say ‘steer clear drink beer’ which rolls off the tongue.”