Traveling abroad is often seen as a rite of passage for many teenagers, but two sets of grieving parents have now issued a dire warning over visiting one particular destination.
Typically, teenagers jet off abroad to mark their graduation from high school, with a ‘gap year’ being taken before heading off to college.
Yet after a tragic vacation claimed the lives of two teenage girls and tore their families apart, the parents of Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones have begged parents to think twice about sending their children to the popular destination of Laos.
The landlocked country, which is in the heart of mainland Southeast Asia and neighbors popular travel spots like Thailand and Vietnam, has become a popular destination for teens vacationing alone in recent years, with both Holly and Bianca being extremely excited about their once-in-a-lifetime trip there in November 2024.
However, all their hopes ended in tragedy when the duo accidentally ingested methanol while out partying.
The Australian girls, who were staying in the tourist town of Vang Vieng, were two of six tourists who were poisoned and tragically died after drinking the substance while staying at the Nana Backpackers hostel.
It is suspected that the hostel served drinks that used a bootleg form of alcohol that was tainted with methanol – an investigation remains ongoing.
Shaun Bowles and Samantha Morton, the parents of Holly, were devastated by the death of their daughter, but found that their grief was compounded even further by the Laos Government’s investigation into what exactly had happened.
“We recognize how corrupt and unhelpful the Laos Government (is), there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest there is any type of investigation going on, “ they previously told the Herald Sun.
“(Our) hope is that Australians remove this country from their bucket list, your life is worth nothing over there and we have seen this first-hand as well as other families that have been involved in this tragedy.”
Mark and Michelle Jones, the parents of Bianca, were equally frustrated by the lack of accountability shown, even one year on since their daughter’s death.
“To date, no individual or organization has been held accountable,” they explained and noted that it “appears these deaths of innocent young women may be forgotten, brushed aside and left unresolved.”
‘We’ve heard nothing’
Both Holly and Bianca’s parents have been campaigning for justice since their daughters tragically lost their lives last November, yet the process has been far from easy, with Laos officials refusing to even meet with the families, let alone provide them answers.
It was reported back in February 2025, that despite requests to meet with the Laos Government, all requests had been denied, with officials refusing to meet with the families of any of the victims of the mass methanol poisoning incident.
“We’ve heard nothing,” the Jones’ told 60 Minutes host Tara Brown on Sunday evening. “I cannot have my daughter’s passing not mean anything.”
Brown herself then went on to explain: “Last November, in a letter to our Foreign Minister Penny Wong, the Laos Government did express its ‘profound sadness’ over the deaths. And it said it ‘was investigating the cause of the incident to bring the perpetrators to justice.’
“But so far despite those words there’s been very little action. When we tried to go to Laos to find out why we were denied access to the country because they claimed the case is still being worked on.
“More significantly, and cruelly, no Lao officials will meet with the devastated families, not even in private.”
What is methanol?
Methanol is a colorless clear liquid that has no discernible smell and can be fatal if just 0.85 fluid ounces are consumed.
It is commonly used in industrial and household products like paint thinners, antifreeze, varnish and photocopier fluid.
It has frequently been used in alcohol in Southeast Asia in recent years, with outbreaks of poisoning occurring in many poorer nations such as Indonesia, India, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Often unintentional, the poisoning can happen when methanol is used instead of ethanol in alcoholic drinks – notably because methanol is considerably cheaper.
“You have the unscrupulous producer adding methanol to their drinks because it’s cheaper – it’s used to create a stronger-seeming drink or make lower-quality alcohol drinks seem more potent,” one Western diplomat in the region told the BBC.
“I don’t think it’s nefarious bar owners going out of their way to poison tourists – that’s not good for them or their industry either,” the diplomat said. “It’s more about the production side – there being being low education, low regulation, people cutting corners.”
What are the signs of methanol poisoning?
Methanol poisoning can occur after ingesting very small amounts of the liquid, with just half a shot glass enough to prove fatal.
Initially, there may be no symptoms, but in the 24 hours that follow, many begin to manifest, including nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
In some cases, it can also escalate to breathing problems.
If not treated quickly, Médecins Sans Frontières, the global medical charity, reports that 20 to 40 percent of cases can prove to be fatal. However, if caught early enough, ideally within the first 30 hours, the condition can be managed and safely treated.