Editorial: Laos poisoning a tragedy that could happen to any family

A trip through South East Asia has long been a rite of passage for young Australians.

The promise of fun, adventure, and a good party at a bargain price is an irresistible lure for those for whom the pressures of adult life are yet to begin in earnest.

It’s a thrilling time for these young people, some of whom are flying the nest for the first time.

For their parents, it’s exciting also, as they watch their children discover the world, perhaps retracing journeys they themselves made decades earlier. But those feelings of pride are laced with anxiety.

They know better than their young people that the world is as filled with dangers as it is with wonders.

Most will have their young people return to them, with little damage to show other than a sunburn.

But some will have their darkest fears become reality, such as the parents of 19-year-old friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, who died in hospitals in Thailand this week, victims of what is suspected to be methanol poisoning from tainted drinks in Laos.

Other backpackers from around the world, are still fighting for their lives.

A US man, a British woman and two women from Denmark have also died.

They weren’t doing anything particularly silly. They weren’t riding scooters through mad traffic unlicensed and bare-headed. They weren’t taking drugs from strangers or any inherently risky activity.

Their only mistake was to accept free drinks at their accommodation — a place they should’ve been safe.

They could have been any of our children.

Parents know they must let their kids fly. To keep them too close would be to keep them from experiencing life fully.

All we can do is our best to prepare them for the dangers they may encounter, and pray that they return home safe.