20 Salisbury teenagers ill after taking prescription drug Xanax

Up to 20 teenagers in Salisbury have needed medical treatment in the last week after taking the prescription drug Xanax.

Xanax is prescribed by doctors for anxiety and panic disorders.

In some cases the drug can cause cardiac and respiratory difficulties, slowing the heart rate down to dangerous levels.

Side-effects of Xanax can also make a person feel drowsy, lethargic and forgetful, as well as problems with concentration, headaches and vertigo.

The drug is also very addictive and its side effects can last for several days.

All of the 15 and 16-year-olds who took the drug are now recovering at home, but the spate of incidents has prompted Wiltshire Council and the police to issue a warning to parents.

Inspector Pete Sparrow of Wiltshire Police said the teenagers who took the drugs were "deliberately risking their health".

He continued: "The effects of taking any drugs which haven't been specifically prescribed for you can have serious or even fatal consequences and we urge parents/guardians to talk to their children about the dangers.

"We are investigating where the supply to these young people has come from and ask that anyone with information comes forward."