My ‘bright’ boy, 17, died suddenly after suffering a fatal reaction to common painkiller on a night out with pals
A MUM has dedicated her life to warning kids about the dangers of experimenting with drugs after her son died from taking a painkiller.
Will Horley was just 17 when he suffered a fatal reaction to tramadol during a night out while drinking.
“He was not a ‘druggie’, but one night he went out with a friend and after a few drinks they were offered tramadol as a recreational high,” mum Kim Webster, Herne Bay in Kent, explained.
“His friend survived but tragically Will had a reaction and died.
“It goes to show that drug experimentation can be literally like the flip of a coin; heads you’re OK, tails you’re not.”
The teen, who had been accepted into the army, bought the prescription drug for £60 from another boy who found them on the ‘dark web’ – a hidden part of the internet.
On the day Will died, July 23, 2018, he had been at the beach in Whitstable with friends, enjoying some beers after a 12-hour shift at a restaurant.
After the night out, Will went back to his friend’s house to go to sleep.
In the morning, his friend noticed Will was deeply asleep and snoring, but couldn’t wake him.
The friend decided to call an ambulance who took him to Margate’s Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, but tragically, William died that day.
An inquest into his death in January 2019 recorded a verdict of tramadol overdose with pneumonia.
Tramadol is a strong prescription-only painkiller from a group of medicines called opiates, or narcotics.
This means you can’t buy it legally without a prescription.
It’s used on the NHS to treat severe pain that can’t be stopped by more common painkillers.
It is sometimes taken by people recreationally, to induce feelings of calm and happiness.
Combining the strong painkiller tramadol with alcohol increases the risk of respiratory failure or even death, as both depress the central nervous system.
This can slow vital functions like breathing and heart rate, creating dangerous gaps between breaths and beats.
If you drink alcohol alongside extended-release tramadol, the booze speeds up the drug’s delivery in a process called “dose dumping.”
Experts warn that this can overwhelm the body with a large dose of tramadol, significantly raising the risk of overdose.
“Will had a bright future in front of him in the Army but it was gone in an instant,” his mum said.
She previously said: “Will was 6ft 6ins tall, a handsome, sports-mad lad who’d achieved his long-term ambition and been accepted into the Royal Artillery.
“He was a sensible boy and we had talked about drugs. He always told me ‘Mum, I’m not stupid. I’m going into the army which has a zero-tolerance drugs policy’.
“There was one occasion when I caught him smoking a joint and gave him a real rollicking – but what teenager hasn’t done that?
“I had no fears about my son getting involved with drugs, because I believed he’d never put his future in jeopardy.”
What are the side effects of taking Tramadol?
Even though Tramadol is a very effective painkiller, like all drugs, there can be side effects to taking it.
Common side effects that aren’t much of a cause for concern include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, constipation and a dry mouth.
However, some people suffer more serious issues that are linked to taking Tramadol. These include itching, rashes and a swelling of the face, lips, tongue and throat.
Other reported side effects have included a sudden fast heartbeat, heart palpitations, muscles spasms and even feelings of anxiety.
Combining Tramadol and alcohol can be life-threatening. But some people do it to enhance the euphoric effects of both substances.
Both substances slow down the central nervous system, which can cause breathing and heart rate to become dangerously irregular.
When alcohol is mixed with extended-release Tramadol, it speeds up the drug’s release into the body, a phenomenon called “dose dumping.”
This can result in a large, rapid dose of Tramadol, overwhelming the system and raising the risk of a fatal overdose.
If you, or someone you know has a problem with drugs, there’s a wide range of services that can help.
A GP is a good place to start. They can discuss your problems with you and get you into treatment.
They may offer you treatment at the practice or refer you to your local drug service.
If you’re not comfortable talking to a GP, you can approach your local drug treatment service yourself.
Visit the Frank website to find support near you.
If you’re having trouble finding the right sort of help, call the Frank drugs helpline on 0300 123 6600. They can talk you through all your options.
Source: UK Addiction Treatment Centres + NHS
Kim now dedicates herself to driving home her message through the addiction charity Kenward Trust, where she works as a youth education executive.
She has visited dozens of secondary schools and colleges across Kent, speaking to more than 55,000 young people, some of whom have been left in tears.
Her first visit before she joined the trust was to Will’s old school, Herne Bay High, which proved both emotional and challenging, she said.
But afterwards, when two pupils told her how it had impacted them, it inspired her to continue.
She added: “I’m just a mum telling my story and hoping to get a message across.
“I don’t lecture them because they have to make their own choices. But I let them know what the tragic consequences can be for them and their families.
“It inspires me to keep doing it.”
Now, the Kenward Trust is staging a youth charity ball in memory of former Canterbury College student Will.
Called the Kenward Will Change Lives Ball, it is being held at the Mercure Hotel in Maidstone on March 15 next year, but tickets have just gone on sale.
Guests are promised “a night to remember, filled with glitz and glamour”.
There will be a banquet, music and dancing, and guests are encouraged to “dress to impress”.
The money raised, including from an auction on the night, will go towards the charity’s vital residential and outreach work in the community.