POLICE are hunting the people who distributed a potentially fatal drug to teenagers at a party after two girls suffered a bad reaction at a Halloween party.

Bridport Police Inspector Mike Darby said the class A drug known as 25I had been linked with deaths and was extremely dangerous.

He said one of the teenage girls who bought tables of the drug for £5 had spent four days in hospital and the other was being treated by paramedics more than once in her home still suffering hallucinations three days later.

Both girls took the drugs at a party in a field near Bridport on Friday.

Police are worried about the drug, a former legal high which has since been banned and has been linked to deaths in America, could end up killing a young person in Dorset.

Officers are trying to establish if other youngsters who went to the party took the same drugs and received medical treatment.

Ins Darby said: “In other western countries these drugs have accounted for a number of deaths and in 2012 two teenage girls died in North America from overdosing on 25i and a number of other deaths have been attributed to it where people suffering the hallucinogenic effects of the drugs have killed themselves by believing they can fly or by running into power lines.

“Dealers in these drugs call the drugs trendy sounding names to make them appealing to young people like N-BOMe or Meow-Meow.

“The fact is they are highly illegal and can kill the taker, either by them reacting to the drug, or by them being incapable of looking after themselves whilst under the influence of the drug.

“I am certain our 15 year old children would not inject a needle full of heroin into their arms as they know how dangerous that is, however these new drugs are sold to them under the pretext they are safe to take and not illegal.

“Please help me get the message across to our children this isn't the case.”

He added that there are now 'serious concerns' that the drug is being distributed in the town.

A 17-year-old Bridport girl ended up in intensive care back in April for taking 2CI, believed to be a less potent version of the 25I substance.

And in a separate incident around the same time, another teenage girl admitted herself into accident and emergency at Dorset County Hospital.

Ins Darby said: “Anyone taking these drugs simply doesn't know what they are taking, and that is a very frightening idea.

“A priority is now for us to find out who is distributing this in the Bridport area.

“This 25I drug is a Class A drug, so in the eyes of the law is classed the same as cocaine and heroin.

“The plain and simple fact is we need to stop it before people get seriously injured or killed.”

Anyone in possession of the drugs should hand them to police.

'They could have died'

West Dorset district councillor Molly Rennie, who was recently appointed as WDDC's representative on the Dorchester Youth and Community Centre Advisory Committee, said: “They could have died. They may think it is just a bit of fun if they are being offered drugs to take but they can mess up your life forever.”

The Rev Philip Ringer, the vice chairman of Churches Together in Bridport, said: “This is a serious incident and it should be people of all generations, not just my generation, speaking out against it.

“I'm very anxious and believe parents need to reinforce to youngsters not to accept anything without knowing what it is they're taking.

“The last thing we want is a fatality from something like this. We are 100 per cent behind the police and anything as a community we can do to stop this, the better.

“I would urge all young people to think very carefully before taking or accepting an offer of any substance they are unfamiliar with.

“Sadly, there are all too many people ready to exploit the vulnerable and we must take all measures possible to stop any repetition of this sad occurrence.”

THE 25I drug is also known as 'NBOMe' or 'smiles', has similar effects to LSD and comes in a powder form, liquid or on a paper tab.

Side effects of the drug include vivid hallucinations, bouts of violence and extreme paranoia, which can last up to 48 hours after taking the substance.

In extreme cases the drug can cause kidney and liver damage, psychosis and death.

According to national drug education service FRANK, the Government banned both the 25I and 25C drugs and controlled them as Class A drugs from June 10 this year, because of their recognised effects.