Canadian woman warns others after being poisoned on a Bali vacation
A Canadian woman is speaking out and warning travellers about her experience with methanol poisoning after it left her blind during a trip to Bali.
Ashley King, a resident of Calgary, Alta., was travelling through Bali in 2011 when she unknowingly drank a methanol-tainted cocktail in a nightclub in Kuta. The incident left her in the hospital and ultimately blind.
After her experience in Bali, King now advocates for methanol poisoning awareness. She recently started a petition on Change.org regarding the issue, which has amassed more than 25,000 signatures.
“It’s something that the general population isn’t aware of, and there’s not enough education and awareness around methanol poisoning,” King said when speaking with Daily Hive. “It’s something that happens around the world, and it’s more common and prevalent than people realize.”
In an Instagram post from Change.org, which has racked up more than 100,000 likes, King shared more of her story.
View this post on Instagram
“…I was in Kuta, and it was no different from any other night that I had while I was there. The next day, I flew to New Zealand, and two days later, I woke up in my hostel, incredibly sick,” she explained.
“I was rushed to the hospital because I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t see. Doctors put me in the ICU and told me I had large amounts of methanol in my system.”
Methanol is a colourless, flammable alcohol that is used as an industrial chemical. It smells and tastes like ethanol, the alcohol found in beverages; however, when consumed, it is extremely toxic and can lead to serious health risks.
“I think many people who do know about it assume that methanol poisoning happens because you were at a dodgy bar or you drink something precarious at a beach hut. But that’s simply not the case,” King said.
King’s petition is aimed at providing educational resources in schools and airports on the dangers of methanol poisoning.
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“Education becomes a crucial tool in combating this silent killer. Implementing educational programs at airports and schools can empower travellers with the knowledge they need to discern safe drinking practices, recognize symptoms of poisoning, and seek prompt medical assistance in case of exposure,” the petition states.
King is calling on the Canadian transportation and education ministers to implement awareness measures, including visible signage, printed leaflets, staffed information points, and announcement warnings in airports to help educate travellers. She would also like to see methanol awareness added to the school curriculum.
She says she has met with a major Canadian airline that is taking methanol poisoning very seriously, which will hopefully lead to more awareness.
Offering advice, King says to stay away from deals that seem too good to be true. “Really cheap drinks, free alcohol, two-for-ones, or bucket-style type alcohol. Alcohol costs money at the end of the day… so if you’re getting it incredibly cheap, you have to ask yourself, why is that?”
You can view King’s petition online.