A heartbroken mum has warned school pupils of the dangers of abusing common painkillers after losing her son over a split-second ‘fatal error of judgement’.
William Horley was just 17 when he suffered an accidental overdose of the painkiller Tramadol in 2018.
The teen, who had been accepted into the army, bought the prescription drug for £60 from another boy who found them on the ‘dark web’ — part of the internet not visible to normal search engines.
But, on a night out with friends after finishing their shifts at a seafood restaurant, he took the painkiller while drinking and had a fatal reaction.
Now, Kim Webster from Herne Bay in Kent, is on a mission to save young lives and discourage drug use by telling her tragic tale to thousands of schoolchildren across the county.
She said: ‘Will was not a “druggie”, but one night he went out with a friend and after a few drinks they were offered Tramadol as a recreational high.
‘His friend survived but tragically Will had a reaction and died.
‘It goes to show that drug experimentation can be literally like the flip of a coin, heads you’re OK, tails you’re not.
William Horley was just 17 when he suffered an accidental overdose of the painkiller Tramadol in 2018. Pictured, with mum Kim Webster
The teen, who had just been accepted into the army, bought the prescription drug for £60 from another boy who found them on the ‘dark web’ — part of the internet not visible to normal search engines
‘Will had a bright future in front of him in the Army but it was gone in an instant.’
She also previously told MailOnline: ‘He was a sensible boy and we had talked about drugs. He always told me: “Mum, I’m not stupid. I’m going into the army which has a zero tolerance drugs policy.”
‘There was one occasion when I caught him smoking a joint.
‘I gave him a real rollicking, even though I knew, what teenager these days hasn’t done that?
‘But overall, I had no fears about my son getting involved with drugs, because I believed he’d never put his future in jeopardy.
‘Will wasn’t a drug addict. This was an awful accident, a teenager out having fun with his friends, making a momentary bad decision and paying the ultimate price.
‘Such a terrible waste of a promising young life.’
An inquest into his death in January 2019 recorded a verdict of Tramadol overdose with pneumonia.
An inquest into his death in January 2019 recorded a verdict of Tramadol overdose with pneumonia
Kim now gives talks in schools, sharing Will’s story in order to deter teenagers from dabbling in drugs
Mrs Webster now dedicates herself to driving home her message through the addiction charity Kenward Trust, where she works as a youth education executive
His friend told the inquest that although he knew Will occasionally smoked weed in the past, this was the first time the teenager had taken Tramadol.
In 2023, Jake Minter, who was also just 17 at the time on the tragedy, was sentenced to nine months in prison after admitting supplying the Class C substance to Will in the days before his death.
Tramadol is a prescription opioid, often dispensed against moderate to severe pain, usually after surgery or serious injury. It is sometimes prescribed off-label for anxiety and depression.
But combining the strong painkiller with alcohol can raise the risk of respiratory failure or even prove fatal, given they both depress the central nervous system.
This is because it can slow down the nervous system’s vital functions, forcing bigger gaps between breaths and heartbeats.
If you also drink alcohol alongside an extended-release form of Tramadol — which directs the dose into your system gradually — the booze accelerates this delivery in what is called ‘dose dumping’.
Experts warn that people may not be able to tolerate such a large amount of Tramadol entering your body in one go, and this can raise the risk of overdose.
Mrs Webster now dedicates herself to driving home her message through the addiction charity Kenward Trust, where she works as a youth education executive.
From childhood, Will had been an active and lively child who dreamed of joining the army (pictured at home in a pirate costume)
William (pictured as a pre-teen) had been accepted into the army and was due to join three months after his death
She has visited dozens of secondary schools and colleges across Kent, speaking to more than 55,000 young people, some of whom have been left in tears.
Her first visit before she joined the trust was to Will’s old school, Herne Bay High, which proved both emotional and challenging, she said.
But afterwards, when two pupils told her how it had impacted them, it inspired her to continue.
She added: ‘I’m just a mum telling my story and hoping to get a message across.
‘I don’t lecture them because they have to make their own choices. But I let them know what the tragic consequences can be for them and their families.
‘It inspires me to keep doing it.’
Now, the Kenward Trust is staging a youth charity ball, the Kenward Will Change Lives Ball, in memory of Will next March.
There will be a banquet, music and dancing, and guests are encouraged to ‘dress to impress’.
The money raised, including from an auction on the night, will go towards the charity’s vital residential and outreach work in the community.
It comes as a BBC investigation in June revealed more than 50 million doses of illegally traded medicines were seized in the UK in the last five years.
The seizures between 2019 and 2023 include unlicensed painkillers, anti-anxiety medication, slimming pills and drugs for erectile dysfunction.
Criminal gangs sell medicines illegally through websites designed to look like legitimate pharmacies.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the 50 million doses seized had a street value of up to £70 million.
Last month, new analysis also showed NHS spending on addictive opioid painkillers has doubled since the pandemic.
Doctors have dished out almost £1billion-worth of the drugs over five years, with experts blaming agonising waits for surgery.
The health service doled out £90.1million of the drugs in 2019, rising to £186.2million last year and a projected £189million this year.
