Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
New Safety Push To Protect Young Australians Overseas
The Australian Government is strengthening its efforts to increase awareness of alcohol related risks of overseas travel, launching a dedicated advertising push to reach young Australians.
Best friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles tragically died last year from drinking alcohol tainted with methanol while on holiday in Laos. No family should have to go through the pain of losing a child or a loved one in this way.
From next month, Smartraveller will roll out dedicated communications to raise awareness and educate Australians of the signs of methanol poisoning, how to protect themselves from drink spiking and broader alcohol safety – knowing the risks and watching out for your mates.
The campaign will ramp up across peak travel periods and school and university holidays, and include:
The Australian Government will also work with education institutions and non-government organisations such as Red Frogs and the Nicole Fitzsimmons Foundation to deliver alcohol safety messaging through presentations to school students.
We want young Australians to watch their drinks and watch out for their mates overseas. We urge them to stay vigilant and check Smartraveller.gov.au for the latest updates.
The Australian Government has consistently called for a transparent and thorough investigation into the deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, and the Foreign Minister has made these expectations clear to the Lao Government.
We continue to press Lao authorities for progress on the investigation.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong:
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts:
https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/new-safety-push-protect-young-australians-overseas