A STUDENT was left fighting for life after reportedly trying to rip off his own FACE while high on a party drug. Tom Bellmont, 20, is said to have gone berserk and clawed at his head, refusing to let anyone near him. Terrified pals at the University of the West of England, Bristol, called 999 to say the music student had overdosed on 2CB, a Class A relative of deadly ecstasy. Cops and medics arrived at the student flats — not thought to be where Tom lives — in Marketgate, Bristol, at 2.20am on Wednesday and teamed up to subdue him.
He was put on a ventilator in intensive care at Bristol Royal Infirmary, and was released on Friday. An underlying medical condition is thought to have triggered his dreadful reaction. One student said: “He was screaming really loudly, flailing his arms around and looked in a very bad way. It was frightening. There was blood on his face.” Another witness claimed Tom, of Newbury, Berks, was “saying he could see the devil and that his brain was hurting”. Student Caitlin Hawnt tweeted: “A boy took 2CB & started to scratch his face off, having fits and foaming at the mouth.” 2CB can be sold as a white powder or small pills and is particularly dangerous when mixed with other drugs or alcohol. A police spokesman said: “As always we would advise people to stay away from illegal drugs and so-called ‘legal’ highs. “Many of these drugs can cause serious damage to your health.”
2CB...a risky trip
CREATED in the 1970s, 2CB was at first used as a therapy aid for psychiatric patients. Although the hallucinogen can mix badly with other highs or alcohol, it soon became popular recreationally, and most countries banned it. It is rare in the UK, but has become more well-known in recent months. It hit the headlines after three men in Newcastle were arrested when six lads fell ill taking the drug. It’s also known as Bromo, Nexus or CB.
