A teenager who “lost control of her limbs” after a night out drinking has issued a stark warning to people celebrating New Year’s Eve.
Aimee Glass, an 18-year-old student from Suffolk, tells us independent She came under fire during freshers’ week in September. After two drinks at the bar and two more at the club, she began to feel unwell.
“I felt hot and sick,” she said. “This was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Drunk or sober, I didn’t feel any sickness.
“I was really scared because I wasn’t sure what was going on. I couldn’t feel my limbs properly or speak properly. I told my friends that the last moments of my vision were like a kaleidoscope, and then my vision becomes very blurry.
Ms Glass said she completely lost her vision within half an hour of feeling unwell, adding that she was unable to walk or talk.
“I was unresponsive so the club manager called an ambulance,” she added. “The club manager thought I was shocked because of the sight of my students. I was in the ambulance for six hours because there was no room in the hospital. I was in the hospital for about two hours – the hospital said there was a suspected spike.
Ms Glass said she did not speak for seven hours after being stabbed as she recalled how her health continued to deteriorate in the ambulance.
Thousands of incidents of adulterated drinks are reported every year ((Alamy/PA))
“My friend in the ambulance said my eyes were rolling into the back of my head,” she continued. “I couldn’t control my body, I couldn’t control my bladder, I was weeding myself in the ambulance.
“I had pain around my eyes because my eyeballs rolled back. I had no coordination for the next day or so and my speech took a few days to get back to normal. It was stuttering and slow and I couldn’t think of what to say.
Ms Glass recalled paramedics telling her in the ambulance it was a serious case of poisoning and calling the police. She said she had very bad headaches a few weeks later
She said police visited her home the next morning and gave her a toxicology report, adding she was told it would take six weeks to get the results but it ended up taking 12 weeks time.
Ms Glass said: “The police did not contact me at all to give me any updates. At 11 weeks I went into the police station. The receptionist said they had made a mistake and that was the delay.
“On Boxing Day I got a call from the police officer saying no drugs were found in my system and they were closing the case. It was quite shocking to hear that. We have lodged a complaint with the police to find out what went wrong and Get more information.
She said the ordeal had made her more anxious about going out, adding that she sometimes felt uneasy before going out because she felt like she was reliving the moment.
Her comments came as campaigners advised those going out to parties, pubs, bars and clubs on New Year’s Eve to be careful. Splitting may include adding alcohol or drugs to drinks, as well as injecting needles into victims, or lacing e-cigarettes or cigarettes.
Colin Mackie, chairman and founder of Spike Aware UK, said: “The New Year is just around the corner and many of us are continuing to celebrate and socialize.
“While Spike Aware UK wants you to have a great time, we also want to keep you safe. Unfortunately, however, many people let their guard down about the spikes at this time of year. In fact, in many cases, The victims are all older.”
Mr McKee warned that anyone could fall victim to spikes and called on revelers to be wary of them.
He added: “We urge party-goers, wherever you are, to have fun but stay vigilant and look after your drinks and your friends to see 2025 safely.”
Justice Secretary Alex Davies-Jones recently told Sky News’ Politics Hub that there were around 6,000 reports of exceedances last year but it was not clear whether How big a problem it is because exceeding standards remains an underreported crime.
Labor has revealed plans to make it a specific criminal offense to spike drinks with drugs as part of the government’s crackdown on violence against women and girls.
Helena Conibear, chief executive of anti-alcohol charity Alcohol Education Trust, said: “Remember, binge drinking can happen at private parties as well as in pubs and clubs, so we must be aware of this too and Take care of other people.
She warned fare hikers must realize that “the night-time economy is making huge efforts to increase detection and training, and police have established task forces determined to target perpetrators and bring them to justice”.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police have been contacted for comment.
