The Government has been urged to introduce “clear guidance” on methanol poisoning in its official travel advice after the death of a British woman in Laos last year.
Simone White was 28 years old when she died in November after drinking free shots at a hostel bar in Laos, south-east Asia.
The lawyer from south-east London had been travelling with her friend Bethany Clarke, who was also admitted to hospital with methanol poisoning but survived.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott argued that methanol poisoning is “a huge danger but barely any of us know about it”.
Introducing a 10-minute rule Bill in the Commons, the Sevenoaks MP said: “Methanol is tasteless and has only a faint smell, making it impossible to tell if a drink has been contaminated.
“But when consumed, it can lead to a coma, convulsions, blindness, nervous system damage and death.
“Medical specialists say drinking as little as 25ml of methanol can be fatal but it’s sometimes added to drinks because it is cheaper than alcohol.
“Since their devastating loss, Simone’s family have campaigned tirelessly to prevent similar tragedies affecting other families.”
Ms Trott called on the Government to issue “accurate, clear and consistent” guidance to help save lives.
She said: “Sadly, current official travel advice is falling short. In some high-risk countries, there is very little warning at all.
“Where advice does exist, it is vague and understated. Travellers are told that certain drinks ‘might’ carry a risk or that they should exercise ‘caution’.
“This is not a matter of caution. This is about a lethal and preventable danger.”
The Conservative MP acknowledged that the Foreign Office has updated the health section of the travel advice on its website but insisted “we must do more to make the warnings clearer and more explicit”.
Ms Trott told MPs how Simone was one of six young people who died after drinking shots at the hostel in the popular backpacking town of Vang Vieng.
The other victims of suspected methanol poisoning included two Australians, two Danish women and an American.
The shadow education secretary said: “Over the last year, I’ve learned so much about Simone, who was a much-loved young woman.
“She had a brilliant life ahead of her, and it was clear from when I attended her funeral that she was deeply loved by her friends and family.
“A year ago, like so many of us here, I did not know much about methadone poisoning, yet over a thousand people die from it every single year worldwide.”
