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20 August 2013, 13:46
Police have named an 18-year-old man from Southampton who died after taking a ‘legal high’ drug he bought on the internet - and his family's paid tribute.
Adam Hunt, from Millbrook Road East, died in intensive care in Southampton General Hospital on Sunday morning (18 August).
The teenager’s mother phoned an ambulance after finding him in his bedroom on Wednesday afternoon, 14 August. He said he'd taken Alpha Methyltryptamine (AMT) which had been ordered online from Holland.
A Hampshire Police spokesperson said:
"From initial enquiries it appears he took two psychoactive substances AMT and etizolam (also known as so called 'legal highs') sometime before he was taken seriously ill on the previous Wednesday.
"The exact cause of his death though has yet to be established. A file is being prepared for the coroner."
A post-mortem examination to help establish the cause of death is due to be held later this week.
In a statement, Adam’s mum Bernadette and dad Darren said:
“Adam was a much loved son. He was a very normal young man with interests that ranged from football and music to clothes and girls.
“He loved football and was a Saints season ticket holder. His musical tastes were eclectic ranging from Oasis to drum ‘n’ bass.
“He did well at school and just two years ago he left with 11 GCSE A-C passes and had gone on to study electrical engineering at college in an attempt to follow in his dad’s footsteps.
“He loved travel as well and was due to go on holiday in the next few weeks with one of his best friends to New York where he had planned an itinerary of sight seeing and restaurant visiting as he was also very keen on food.
“He was very thoughtful and caring and loved his family and friends dearly. One of the things we will always remember though about him was his fantastic sense of humour. It is very hard to think we will not get to laugh or talk with him anymore.
“His life had such potential and was all in front of him, sadly it has been cut prematurely very short.
“We are, as you’d expect, in shock at Adam’s death and though we thank the media for their interest in Adam we would ask that at this time they leave us to grieve in peace and don’t try to contact us. It may be in the future we may feel stronger and may be able to speak in more detail about Adam and what happened.”
Two other men died in Hampshire last year after taking AMT. A 19-year-old from Chandlers Ford died in June, and a 32-year-old man from Andover died a month later.