9781422270530

A PARTY DRUG TURNS DEADLY

Scottish teen Cerys Reeve was only 14 years old when she went to a sleepover at her friend’s house in Greenock, Inverclyde, on July 13, 2020. Cerys loved to dance and was often part of dance competitions. She trained four to five hours every day as a dancer and was popular in school. Before she went to the sleepover at her friend’s house in a nearby town, Cerys bought ecstasy from James McCairn, a 16-year-old who was selling drugs via Snapchat. At her friend’s house, Cerys mixed ecstasy powder into juice. The girls stayed up until midnight watching a movie, but by 5:00 a.m., Cerys was in trouble. She began grunting and sweating profusely, and she fell off the bed she was sharing with her friend, waking her friend’s mother. By that time, Cerys was already very ill and began to suffer seizures. She had a high fever and felt “extremely hottothetouch,”accordingtoeventualwitnesstestimony at the Glasgow High Court, where McCairn stood trial for selling the fatal drugs to Cerys. Cerys was taken to the local hospital. Her body was rigid from constant seizures, and her eyes were open with dilated pupils, but she was unable to communicate. Soon she was unable to breathe, and she was put on a respirator.However,thetreatmentwasunsuccessful,and shortly after 8:00 a.m., Cerys was pronounced dead.

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The Young Adult Drug Library: Ecstasy