A grieving mother whose daughter died after unknowingly drinking contaminated alcohol in Bali has joined with other bereaved families to launch a nationwide campaign urging holidaymakers to be aware of the dangers of methanol poisoning.
What Happened to Kirsty McKie
Kirsty McKie, 38, from Bramhall, Stockport, died in Bali in 2022 after consuming what she believed was the liqueur limoncello. The drink was fake, despite her and her partner ordering the bottle from a high-end supplier that stocked hotels and restaurants. Her mother, Margaret, has now spoken out ahead of the summer holidays amid fears that more lives could be lost to alcohol poisoning.
The 'Know the Signs' campaign has been launched as UK Government travel advice now includes methanol poisoning warnings for 29 destinations, including tourist hotspots such as Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam.
Warning Signs of Methanol Poisoning
Margaret warned that people should not dismiss methanol poisoning symptoms as a hangover. “It’s not a hangover, and I’ll just curl up in bed and go to sleep,” she said. “Methanol poisoning gets worse. If you notice that one of your friends is much drunker than you would expect them to be, or they’re experiencing vision problems or breathlessness, it's really important they get to hospital fast. You could save a life.”
Symptoms of methanol poisoning include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, vision problems, and breathlessness, which can appear between 12 and 48 hours after consumption. Urgent medical attention is critical.
How to Reduce Risk
To lower the risk, travellers should avoid free cocktails or shots, unlabelled bottles, and unusually cheap or heavily discounted drinks claiming to be brand-name alcohol. Margaret noted that in popular tourist hotspots like Laos, Indonesia, and Thailand, spirits served in bars can be contaminated, and genuine discarded bottles can be resealed and sold by criminals using methanol to cut costs.
“It didn’t occur to anybody in Kirsty’s case that it could’ve been methanol poisoning, and that’s why by the time we got to the truth, the bottle had long since been thrown away so there was no way of proving who caused it,” Margaret said. No legal action has been taken because the bottle was discarded.
Campaign and Government Response
Margaret added: “We have had to make peace with it. There’s no way that we can pursue it. We know the Governments of these countries are more concerned about the tourist trade and don’t want the bad publicity. In our experience, and from those of other bereaved families, you don’t get support. They want to brush it under the carpet because they don’t want to stop people coming because it damages their image.”
She said of the campaign: “A lot of people have started to listen and are becoming more aware. It's the only thing that makes any sense to do after Kirsty’s death. To try and stop this happening to others. It can’t go on.”
Simone White, 28, died after drinking free shots at a hostel bar in Laos in November 2024. Her friend Hannah-Mei Grisley said: “The next morning, they woke up and thought they had a really bad hangover. Simone vomited, Bethany fainted, and that’s when they knew something was seriously wrong. That’s why it’s so important that people know how to reduce the risk when drinking alcohol overseas and seek urgent help as soon as something doesn’t feel right.”
Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer stated that “methanol poisoning can have devastating – and sometimes fatal – consequences”, and praised the relatives and survivors who are trying to raise awareness. He added: “The courage of survivors and bereaved families in sharing their experiences will help raise awareness and could save lives.”
