NO ACTION OVER ECSTASY CHILD PARENT

A 13-month-old boy who accidentally swallowed what is thought to have been
half an ecstasy tablet from his mother's handbag is likely to have ingested
the equivalent of a 10-fold adult dose, a leading public health expert
claimed yesterday.

Joe Tague, who lives with his mother, Alana, 21, in a flat in the
Bonnington area of Edinburgh, was taken to the Royal Hospital for Sick
Children on Monday, after she found him eating what was believed to be an
ecstasy tablet left at her home following a weekend party.

Mrs Tague, who also has a two-year-old daughter, is separated from her taxi
driver husband, Ian.

The child yesterday remained in hospital under observation and his
condition was described as "stable and improving". The family has made a
plea for privacy and said there would be no further statement.

Dr Jamie Inglis, consultant in public health medicine with the Health
Education Board Scotland, said: "The amount of ecstasy is more geared
towards an adult's body. We don't really know very much about an overdose
of ecstasy in such a young child and effectively, the child would be
getting roughly 10 times the normal amount."

He said adults who took 10 tablets suffered an exaggerated form of the
recognised side effects of the drug, including intoxication, agitation and
hallucinations, with epileptic fits in the most severe cases.

Long-term damage from such an overdose could include liver and kidney
damage and heart irregularities, he added.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police said inquiries were under way
and a report was likely to be submitted to the procurator-fiscal.

It is understood the mother is not a drug user and is unlikely to face
criminal charges. Officers believe her immediate honesty over the child's
plight played a key role in saving his life.

"He was very lucky. He was caught very quickly and got attention very
quickly," said a senior police source.

The child's grandmother, Mrs Moira Purves, said the incident had badly
shaken the family, but defended her daughter, saying: "My daughter is not a
drugs dealer, it was just a tragic accident."

Edinburgh's director of social work, Mr Leslie McEwan, said there was
likely to be an initial assessment of the case and a decision would be
taken on whether further intervention was necessary.

However, the police response was condemned by Glasgow-based anti-drugs
campaigners Mothers Against Drugs.

"The police are saying there will be no charges in this case. If that was
someone walking down the street with anything in her handbag she could have
been charged with possession.

"If you turn up at accident and emergency with a child who has swallowed
bleach you would be questioned and there would be doubts about your
capabilities."

Meanwhile, drugs campaigners and researchers yesterday called for a
Government-led drive warning of the safety implications of leaving drugs
accessible to children.

Mrs Janet Betts, the mother of ecstasy victim Leah Betts, said: "When you
talk about something like ecstasy people just think about adult deaths.
They never think around the issue. This is just one of the ways in which
ecstasy can do harm.

"It just shows the diversity of the harm this stuff can do. It also puts
out a warning to users - if you are using anything, be careful. It would
not do any harm to reinforce the message."

Pleading with parents to be more careful, Scotland Against Drugs Director
Alistair Ramsay said: "There can't be a parent with young children in
Scotland who can't be absolutely horrified by what has happened here with
this young child.

"It reinforces the need for parents who are using drugs and for parents of
very young children who have friends who use drugs, that they need to keep
substances away from young children."

A Scottish Executive spokesman said work was under way with the Convention
of Scottish Local Authorities to prepare draft guidance for those who work
with drug-using parents to be aware of their children's interests.