Leah Betts

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Leah Sarah Betts (11 November 1977 – 16 November 1995) was an English girl from Latchingdon, Essex, who became a prominent figure in discussions about drug use in the United Kingdom following her death shortly after her 18th birthday. On 11 November 1995, during her birthday celebration at home, Betts consumed an ecstasy (MDMA) tablet and subsequently drank approximately 7 litres (1.8 US gal) of water within a 90-minute period. Four hours later, she collapsed into a coma and was admitted to hospital, where she remained until her death on 16 November. The inquest concluded that her death resulted from water intoxication leading to hyponatremia, causing fatal swelling of the brain; it was suggested that the ecstasy tablet may have impaired her body's ability to regulate water balance. Her case drew extensive media attention, partly because she came from a middle-class family, which defied the stereotype of drug users. A prominent anti-drug campaign used her photo with the slogan "Sorted", but critics said such words were too one-sided, giving the impression that her death was caused merely by "one ecstasy tablet". The police spent £300,000 investigating the source of the drugs but only brought minor charges against her friends.