A 15-year-old girl has died after suffering an adverse reaction to a suspected “legal high”, police said.
Devon and Cornwall police said the teenager, who is believed to have taken a novel psychoactive substance, was found unconscious in Bakers Park in Newton Abbot, Devon, in the early hours of Saturday.
Det Supt Ken Lamont told ITV News that officers are “confident” people know where the drug came from. He urged the community, including “maybe some of the youngsters who were there or the parents of the youngsters”, to come forward with information.
Lamont said: “Our working hypothesis is that this girl has taken what’s called new psychoactive substances and unfortunately people still do term them as legal highs. That tends to give it some legitimacy. They’re not legal. They’re illegal, they’re very, very dangerous, probably more dangerous than traditional drugs. People do not know what it is in them.
“It is a real safeguarding plea to the community – don’t touch new psychoactive substances, they are very, very dangerous.
“Equally we are confident the community will know who supplied these drugs and we would appeal for them, maybe the youngsters who were there or parents of the youngsters.
“This girl has made a mistake, a lifestyle choice mistake, and has paid the ultimate price. I am certain the community know who has sold or given those drugs.”
The teenager was taken to Torbay district hospital at about 4.50am, where she later died. Two other teenage girls were also taken to hospital as a precaution
but have since left.
A Devon and Cornwall police spokesman said: “Police currently believe that the 15-year-old girl who died had taken a new psychoactive substance, more commonly referred to as ‘legal highs’, and had suffered an adverse reaction.”