The Australian government is set to launch a new alcohol safety ad campaign targeting young travellers, in response to the poisoning deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles.
The Melbourne teenagers, both aged 19, tragically passed away in November after consuming alcohol tainted with methanol while on holiday in Laos.
Now, Smartraveller — a service of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade — is rolling out a targeted campaign in the hopes of educating young travellers about alcohol-related risks and signs of methanol poisoning, in the form of social media, text message and airport communications.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said “the families of Holly and Bianca are foremost in my mind” while announcing the rollout of the Smartraveller campaign.
“We want our children to be curious and explore the world – but above all else, we want them to be safe,” Wong said.
Part of the initiative includes advertisements scheduled to run during peak times for young travellers, like school and university holidays.
The rollout will be supported by a Smartraveller website with resources for parents, schools and universities, which is expected to launch in June.
Alongside social media, the government will target Aussie travellers through consultation with airlines, who will distribute information for certain tourist destinations.
Educational institutions and non-government organisations such as Red Frogs will also be involved in the campaign to amplify its messaging.
It comes amid the continued fallout of the suspected mass poisoning in Laos last year, which led to the deaths of Jones, Bowles and four other foreign tourists staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in the popular hotspot of Vang Vieng.
The investigation into the tragedy remains ongoing, with Laos authorities refusing assistance by the Australian Federal Police last month and Jones’ father claiming he has been kept in the dark as to its progress.
“There’s been no communication, we’ve had no updates,” Mark Jones told ABC earlier this month. “There seems to be no progress in these investigations”.
In the wake of the poisonings, it was reported that reviews warning of methanol-laced drinks at Nana Backpacker Hostel had been wiped from Google reviews amid the investigation.
Lead image: 9 News
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