A teenager died in her sleep after drinking a bottle of cheap cider during a New Year's Eve party with friends.
Megan Craig-Wilkinson was 16 years old when she drank Frosty Jack's Cider for the first time during a celebration on December 31, 2014, Mirror reports.
Within five hours, Megan drank half of a 3-liter bottle that originally contained 22 shots worth of alcohol.
The deadly drink is pegged the "cheapest booze on sale in the UK" because you can buy a bottle for $4.35.
After consuming the alcohol, Megan came home because she wasn't feeling well. Her mother, Joanne, claimed she was supposed to stay over her friend's house for the night, but had to take care of her when she got back.
Joanne was unaware of the amount of alcohol her daughter drank at the party.
She told Mirror,
She was still texting her friends Happy New Year, and I went up to bed with her to make sure she was settled. I stayed with her and I did notice she was trying to lie on her back when she was half asleep, so I put her in the recovery position. When she settled down, I went downstairs
The horrified mother of four woke up the next morning and realized Megan had died in her sleep after consuming Frosty Jack's hours before.
The 16-year-old was a victim of pulmonary aspiration, which occurred when the liquids in her stomach emptied into her lungs, causing her to "dry drown."
Since her daughter's death three years ago, Joanne has made it her life mission to change the laws concerning cheap alcohol, hoping to inform young people of the dangers that surround dangerously accessible and affordable alcohol.
She said,
Teenagers and young adults need to know how dangerous it can be. You see them buying it or looking for it in corner shops. It has been going on for generations. Under 18s are not supposed to buy it, but they do get their hands on it and it is so dangerous.
Joanne has been invited to speak at the House of Commons on Thursday, February 23 in attempt to change the laws surrounding the purchasing of cheap alcohol.
Since her efforts began, Frosty Jack's sent her family their condolences and agreed to work toward a solution to the reoccurring issue of underage alcohol purchasing.
The company stated,
We're ready and willing to work with all interested parties to seek effective solutions to what is often a complex problem.
Citations: 16-year-old girl died in her sleep after drinking cider dubbed 'the cheapest booze on sale in the UK' (Mirror)
