13-year-old almost dies after binge drinking on vodka at school 'to fit in'

His mother Jo took pictures of her son in an Exeter hospital in a bid to warn others about the dangers of peer pressure.

A mother released photos of her teenage son in hospital after he collapsed following a vodka binge session in school.

Chase Owen, 13, had been drinking alcohol brought into school by other pupils in a bid to fit in with them.

But his mother Jo said the teenager almost died from alcohol poisoning after she found him slumped in their garden in Taunton, Somerset.

Jo says hospital tests found his blood alcohol level was 2.5 times the legal top limit for driving, the Daily Mail reported.

Shop worker Jo took pictures of her son in an Exeter hospital in a bid to warn others about the dangers of peer pressure.

She said: "After being a parent for almost 13 years this is the worst 24 hours I have ever faced.

"Finding Chase collapsed in my front garden yesterday after school I instantly knew something was not right.

"According to him he was just tired! Having got him in the house his condition deteriorated rapidly.

"Unable to string a sentence together, slurring his words and very soon vomiting profusely. Having to see my son like that was awful.

"Having called an ambulance, we had to face the wait in A&E. At first they thought he had meningitis, possible stroke or just the effects of a really bad migraine.

"After three hours or so his tox report came back and Chase had enough alcohol in his system to be two and a half times over the drink drive limit.

Chase Owen, 13, had been drinking alcohol brought into school by other pupils in a bid to fit in with them

"We have now found out from investigations at the school that over the course of three days Chase had been downing shots of vodka that the 'popular' boys were bringing into school in Coke bottles.

"He was trying to impress these boys to fit in with them. And in turn almost died!

"He is now feeling rather sorry for himself but out of danger. Peer pressure is real and can be deadly."

She urged parents to educate their teenagers about peer pressure and urged them to show the photos of Chase to reveal the effects of alcohol poisoning.

Thousands of people have responded to her message.