Family of poisoned Aussie teens call for 'change to protect others'

Best friends Bianca Jones, 19, and Holly Bowles, 19, were in the popular Laos tourist town Vang Vieng when they consumed drinks suspected of containing dangerous levels of methanol, a potentially deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol, in mid-November.

Ms Jones died in a Thai hospital on November 21 and Ms Bowles died the following day. They are among six tourists killed in the suspected mass poisoning after two Danish women, one British woman and an American man died.

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Bianca's father Mark Jones has thanked the Australian public for the "overwhelming" support and vowed to campaign for answers after his daughter's death.

"We can't have the passing of our daughter not lead to change to protect others," he said.

"I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Laos government to investigate this to the fullest extent, to make sure this incident doesn't happen again."

The Laos Government said it has been "conducting investigations to find causes of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law", in a statement.

"The government of the Lao PDR is profoundly saddened over the loss of lives of foreign tourists in Vangvieng District, Vientiane Province and expresses its sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased," the statement said.

Government travel advice for Laos has been updated on the website Smartraveller to warn of the risks associated with drinking methanol.

"Several foreign nationals, including Australians, have been victims in November 2024 of methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks," the travel warning said.

"Be alert to the potential risks particularly with spirit-based drinks including cocktails."

Travellers to Laos were advised to exercise "normal safety precautions".

The Jones and Bowles families have launched a fundraiser to campaign for awareness among tourists, business owners and communities over the danger of methanol.

More than $150,000 was raised through the GoFundMe campaign within the first 16 hours of the fundraiser with donations from around 1800 people.

"We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this devastating time. Every donation, no matter the size, will not only help us honour Bianca and Holly's memory but also work to prevent other families from experiencing the same heartbreak," the families said on the fundraising page.

"This campaign is being run by the families of Bianca and Holly, and we are committed to ensuring that every dollar raised is used transparently and meaningfully."

The families said the money would be used to repatriate the young women to Australia and to launch education initiatives about the dangers of methanol poisoning and how it can be avoided.

The money will also be used to support existing organisations tackling methanol poisoning through education and prevention efforts.

"We want to honour the memory of Bianca, Holly and others impacted by methanol poisoning by turning this tragedy into a mission for change," the families said.