London - Three schoolgirls aged only 12 were in hospital on Sunday night after taking ecstasy pills that had been branded “teddy tablets” in a cynical ploy to entice children into taking potentially deadly drugs.
Two were seriously ill, while the third was under observation after apparently mixing the drug with a bottle of soft drink at a shopping centre on Saturday night.
On Sunday night, “outraged” detectives said no stone would be left unturned in their hunt for whoever supplied the class-A drugs to the girls, thought to be some of the youngest-ever victims of ecstasy poisoning.
Officers were said to be particularly disgusted that the pills had been branded “teddy tablets” to attract children. An ecstasy user who took a similar tablet described hallucinating for hours afterwards on a forum for drug users, and said he wouldn’t touch them again.
Police called to Salford Shopping Precinct at 10pm on Saturday after reports that a girl had overdosed found her two friends also gravely ill. On Sunday night two were in a “serious but stable” condition in hospital, while the third remained under observation.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Walker, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “It outrages me that people think it is acceptable to sell drugs to anybody, let alone vulnerable 12-year-old girls. I am concerned that children are coming into contact with drugs on the streets of Salford.”
He said the trio were believed to have consumed the drug after mixing it with a bottle of soft drink, but said he was hopeful that all three would make a full recovery.
A woman who saw the girls before they were taken to hospital said one was shaking uncontrollably and her face had turned grey. “Two of the girls approached me and asked for a cigarette,” the 26-year-old told the Manchester Evening News.
“One of them was a grey colour in the face. Her eyes were rolling and she was shaking her arm. It was awful. Her jaw was swinging. She was in a very bad way. They were not in the correct state of mind.”
She said she offered to get them water but they ran away, saying they feared she would phone the police. The woman said the pair said they had each taken three “teddy bear tablets”.
On Sunday local Agnes Novak, 28, said: “They are so young. You really do have to ask where were their parents while this was going on.” Tracey Lee, 45, from Levenshulme, added: “I”ve got my fingers crossed that they will pull through.”
The disturbing case is the latest in a string of incidents where youngsters have died or been hospitalised after taking ecstasy tablets with “brand names”. It comes after 17-year-old Faye Allen from Liverpool died last month after taking a super-strong “Mastercard” ecstasy tablet in Trafford, Greater Manchester.
And in May, police warned partygoers about a deadly batch of ecstasy pills that look like Lego bricks after two women both aged 21 were rushed to hospital in Manchester.
On Sunday night police said a man and a woman had been arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a controlled substance and were being held in custody for questioning.
Detective Chief Inspector Walker said: “It is imperative young people avoid taking drugs, to stop any more ending up in hospital. People don’t know what they contain or what effect they will have. It’s not worth the risk of ending up in hospital or even suffering fatal consequences.
“Let this be a warning to anyone supplying class-A drugs to children, you are ruining lives. We will catch you and the full force of the law will be brought down upon you.”
Daily Mail