DEC. 30–DALMELLINGTON, Ayrshire, Scotland–A 20-year-old man has died and five of his friends fell ill after popping contaminated ecstasy, the Scotsman newspaper reported.
Scott McSephney and five friends were taken to hospital after they fell ill in his home town of, in the early hours.
Doctors at Ayr Hospital were unable to revive Scott McSephney, a lifeguard. Strathclyde police said another 20-year-old man had been in a serious but stable condition, and was later released like the other four members of the group.
The death came as a government agency warned about the dangers of drugs and alcohol over the holidays. Officials believe almost half of all revelers planning to take drugs on the Hogmanay holiday mixed alcohol with a cocktail of illegal substances.