Harrowing photos of a boy lying in a coma after his drink was “spiked with ecstasy” have been shared by his family to show teens the shocking effect drugs can have.
Abbie Lee Everett posted the pictures of her 14-year-old nephew Ben online after he fell ill at a party on Saturday night in Old Colwyn, North Wales.
“When kids can [get] their hands on drugs, this is the consequence of it,” Everett wrote on Facebook, adding that Ben was “lucky to be alive”.
“He ended up in a coma because of somebody spiking his drink with a ‘gary’,” she said.
Everett continued: “A dodgy drug nearly took his life - is it really worth taking these kinds of drugs? I don’t think it’s worth the risk for a little buzz.
“His family was beside his bed getting told he may have to have a pace maker, he may have brain damage, he may not even make it...
“So glad Ben is home and alive! We could have been organising a funeral.”
North Wales Police told ITV they are investigating the alleged spiking incident. No arrests have been made.
Since Everett posted the photos to Facebook, they have been shared more than 1,000 times, while hundreds of people have left messages of support for Ben and his family.
A woman named Katrina Jones commented: “Glad he is ok and I hope they catch the sod who did this.
“It’s so scary when you try to warn your children about drugs and then this happens.”
Another social media user said her son’s drink had also been spiked at a party.
“He couldn’t remember even phoning me, it happened to take hold that fast,” she wrote.
“He didn’t take drinks off strangers or leave them down, it was somebody thinking it’s a laugh at someone else’s expense.
“We stayed up all night sitting over him - we were up the wall,” she added.
“All because someone thought this would be funny.”