Toddler in hospital after he ‘swallowed cannabis’
ATODDLER was taken to hospital after eating drugs he picked up from the ground outside his home.
Mum Stacey Cotterill, 25, was taking the bins out at the Maplewood sheltered housing complex in Macclesfield with 19-month-old son Archie when he picked up a package from the ground.
She said the torn carrier bag had cannabis inside and she was horrified when she saw he had put it in his mouth.
Stacey rushed Archie to Macclesfield Hospital and he was admitted into A&E before being moved to a children’s ward.
Stacey, who lives with Archie’s dad Gareth Booth, said: “It was horrific.
“I took the bins out with Archie and saw him bend down and pick something up. It had green stuff inside, it was cannabis and it was in his mouth.
“I snatched it away and there was a tear in the bag so I panicked and took him in a taxi to Macclesfield Hospital.
“He was very pale and really hyperactive, with a high temperature and was being sick.
“They kept him in overnight and monitored his heart rate and oxygen.
“The doctors think he swallowed some of the drugs. It was horrible, he was very distressed.”
Stacey said she and her partner have found drugs and needles outside the flats before and made complaints to police and to landlord Your Housing, which manages Maplewood.
Stacey said: “We’ve reported it to the landlord but nothing has been done.
“It’s disgusting that people can leave drugs that a child can pick up. It could have been a lot worse.”
A Cheshire Police spokesman said officers are testing the substance.
He said: “We received a call from the woman to say while taking the bins out she believed her young child found a bag of cannabis and put it in his mouth. We collected the bag from her home for testing and visited the hospital.”
East Cheshire NHS Trust which runs the hospital would not comment on Archie’s case but Dr John Hunter, medical director, said: “If a parent suspects their child may have ingested an illegal drug they should seek medical help immediately as this can be life-threatening.
“If the child is showing signs of being seriously ill such as sickness, dizziness, breathing difficulties or drowsiness, dial 999 or take them to A&E.
“Take substances you think the child may have ingested with you so they can be analysed.”
Peter Harrison, head of Cheshire for Your Housing Group, said: “In the past six months we have made Maplewood more secure by altering the design and access to the rear communal door, upgrading the CCTV and painting the communal areas.
“We have also worked with the police in taking enforcement action against a number of residents for a variety of antisocial behaviour, including drug use.”