A Dumfries mum feared her son was “dying in front of my eyes” after his drink had been spiked while he was on a night out to celebrate his 18th birthday.
The terrifying incident happened after a family get-together in Greens bar in the town’s St Michael’s Street last Monday night.
The woman said: “I thought I had lost him. If this is what’s happening on a quiet Monday night, I dread to think what’s happening at the weekend.”
The pub’s shaken owners Cas Stalker and Liam Logue have now launched an anti-spike campaign in a bid to stop similar incidents.
And they are urging other licensed premises to follow their lead.
Cas said: “We are 100 per cent trying to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again and we hope other bars and clubs in Dumfries will join us in this campaign to raise awareness.
“Our bar staff will be looking out for any suspicious behaviour and drugs on the premises will not be tolerated.
“Nobody knows the real reaction of alcohol and drugs in your system.
“This incident has really left us shaken. It’s so scary what can happen to someone when their drink has been spiked.
“We will be doing everything we can to make sure it never happens again.”
The teenager had been in the pub with his family for his first legal pint and a couple of games of pool.
After his mum left, he stayed on in the bar with his brother.
But just minutes after leaving, his behaviour changed. His mum said: “They tried to get into a club but were refused entry because door staff thought he was drunk.
“They made off for home but my son started throwing up and acting strangely.
“He ran into the back of a van and hit the ground before he started clutching his throat and saying he couldn’t breathe. He then started fitting.
“His brother phoned me screaming for help and I threw on my dressing gown and ran round the corner to where they were. I thought he was dying in front of my eyes.”
Three police officers were already at the scene helping the teenager when his mum arrived.
She said: “A female police officer had put him in the recovery position and was clearing his airways. I truly believe she saved his life.
“Because it was going to take so long for an ambulance to get there, the police helped us get him in the back of our car and the police woman sat in the back with my son while we rushed to hospital.
“I ran in screaming for help. It was horrific.
“It took four members of staff to hold him down and sedate him. His blood pressure was dangerously low, he couldn’t feel his fingers or legs and we didn’t know what was going to happen.
“We were later told he had been spiked.”
After spending the night and the following day in hospital, the teenager was allowed home.
His parents went to Greens in a bid to find out if CCTV could capture the culprit responsible.
Cas said: “We immediately spoke to bar staff to find out if anyone had seen anything suspicious.
“Straight away we ordered in plastic cups with lids and straws, bottle stoppers, disposable glass anti-spike covers and no drug on premises signs in a bid to prevent further incidents.
“Representatives from an anti-spike campaign will also be training our bar staff on the signs to look out for.
“We really hope other pubs and clubs in Dumfries will join us in this campaign.”
The teen’s mum said: “Cas at Greens has been amazing and really has gone above and beyond.
“Like me, she doesn’t want any other young person or their parents to go through what we have and she wants to help keep people safe.
“I just hope whoever did this to my son is caught because next time, they’ll kill somebody.”
