The Federal Government is launching a dedicated Smartraveller campaign to raise awareness of alcohol-related risks, including methanol poisoning and drink spiking, as part of efforts to protect young travellers abroad.
The campaign follows the tragic deaths of Aussie travellers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, who died last year after consuming methanol-laced alcohol in Laos.
In response, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smartraveller will roll out targeted messaging to educate Australians on the dangers of tainted alcohol and how to stay safe while drinking overseas.
Set to launch in April, the initiative will ramp up during peak travel periods, including schoolies and university holidays.
According to a joint statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts, the initiative will include safety alerts via social media, text messages and airport messaging, ensuring young travellers and their families have access to critical information before departure.
A new online safety hub will also be launched by June 2025, providing resources for schools, universities and parents.
The DFAT campaign will further extend through digital advertising, youth media partnerships and collaborations with travel industry leaders and airlines to amplify messaging across high-risk destinations.
Additionally, the government will work with organisations like Red Frogs and the Nicole Fitzsimmons Foundation to deliver safety messages in schools.
In the meantime, DFAT urges young Aussies to remain vigilant, look out for their mates and check smartraveller.gov.au for the latest updates before travelling.
“The families of Holly and Bianca are foremost in my mind today, and also the many families of other Australians who have lost loved ones,” Minister Wong said.
“We want our children to be curious and explore the world – but above all else, we want them to be safe.
“These efforts will help young Australians travelling overseas to protect themselves from methanol poisoning, drinking spiking and other alcohol harms.”
Assistant Minister Watts said that while alcohol consumption can be harmful in Australia, “there are additional and different risks overseas”.
“The Australian Government’s increased messaging and targeted advice to young travellers, including school leavers and their parents through social media will help raise awareness of the serious and varied risks from alcohol consumption overseas,” he remarked.
The Federal Government says it continues to demand answers from Laos authorities about Jones and Bowles’ deaths, pushing for a full and open investigation.
In November 2024, DFAT issued fresh travel warnings about the risks of alcohol consumption. Read about that here.
