Warning over ‘legal high’ Spice as family release harrowing image of son, 20, in intensive care under police guard in hospital
A FAMILY has released distressing images of a young man in intensive care under police guard in hospital to highlight the danger of the addictive former "legal high" drug Spice.
Jordan Higham, 20, was one of three men who collapsed after taking the synthetic cannabis at Forest Bank prison in Salford last Wednesday night.
Prison guards and medics raced to their assistance and Jordan was brought back to life when they were able to restart his heart.
He has been in the intensive care unit at Salford Royal Hospital ever since.
Jordan's father Edd Higham hopes the shocking image of Jordan will deter others from using the drug.
He said: “It destroys families and wrecks lives.”
Jordan, who is under police guard in hospital, suffered swelling to the brain and is now said to be in a serious but stable condition.
Edd says Jordan - his eldest son - finally opened his eyes on Monday night, but did not recognise him.
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He said: “It’s not easy because we just don’t know the outcome. He will probably need permanent help. I don’t think he will come out of it the same person.
“The worrying thing was when they said there was swelling and not much electrical activity after the brain scan.
“They need to do a more detailed scan and we should get the results tomorrow.
“I saw him awake for the first time last night. He was looking around but he didn’t recognise me.”
Jordan, who has previously spent time living on the streets, had most recently been living with a friend in Bolton.
Father-of-six Edd, from Atherton, in Wigan, says he offered Jordan a place to stay many times but he refused.
He says Jordan has been known to take "legal highs" in the past but had never touched Spice before.
And he cannot understand how his son was able to get hold of Spice while in the jail.
He said: “Last Wednesday the police knocked on my door and asked if I was Jordan’s dad and told me what had happened.
“I didn’t even know he was in prison. They said he had been in for six days on remand. I was just in shock and went straight up to see him.
“They said it was from Spice but it must have been a dodgy lot.
"They said there were three people that night who had collapsed from it in Forest Bank. Jordan must have had most of it.
“I asked the officer ‘how has he ended up with it in prison?’. They just said they do searches but some of it always remains.”
Edd is now warning anyone who may consider taking Spice to stay away from the drug.
He said: “Just don’t bother. I think people think that just because in the past it was legal it will still be OK to take it.
“It destroys families and wrecks lives.”
The synthetic cannabinoids collectively known as Spice were banned by a new law on psychoactive substances last April.
But they are still widely available on the streets and in many of the country’s prisons.
The drug is made up of a range of amphetamines and other laboratory-created chemicals that vary wildly from batch to batch.
Before the ban, it was being sold either over the counter or online under a variety of brand names such as Annihilation and GoCaine.
It is highly addictive with withdrawal symptoms said to be worse than coming off crack or heroin.
Users have suffered seizures, terrifying hallucinations and severe psychotic episodes after taking Spice.
It is causing chaos in Britain's prisons and has even blighted the lives of schoolchildren.
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