A FAMILY whose son suffered from substance and alcohol addiction have been left heartbroken after an inquest found he died after smoking Spice – a synthetic drug.

Brian Reed, 41, a father-of-five from Taunton, was found unresponsive at a property in Wheatley Crescent and was a known user of the highly-addictive substance.

Mr Reed’s family say Spice – which is a synthetic cannabis substitute – is “killing Taunton’s young people” after he was found in the property with six other people who showed symptoms associated with the substance.

A police investigation was then launched into his death and Mr Reed’s devastated family said the Government needs to do more to crack down on Spice after his inquest today (August 23) at the coroner’s court on Corporation Street, Taunton. 

His dad, Ian Reed said: “I know lots of young people around Taunton are taking Spice. Its killing Taunton’s young people.

"The Government needs to do more to get it off the streets.”

Doctors at St James Medical Centre at the Coal Orchard, in Taunton, said Mr Reed had struggled for many years with drug and alcohol problems and was known to have taken Spice. 

Deputy coroner Tim Hayden read out a statement from toxicologist Peter Beresford, from Southmead Hospital in Bristol, which said that although Mr Reed had Spice in his system at the time of his death, there were ‘toxic’ levels of Codeine in his blood which he recorded as the cause of his death.

Mr Hayden then read excerpts of a statement from Mr Reed’s mother, Sharon Reed, who said she had suspicions that her son was using drugs after a recent split from his partner, with whom he has five children.

Mrs Reed said she and her husband made multiple efforts to support their son, including paying for a deposit on a flat, but said he continued to use drugs.

“I found some drug paraphernalia among his belongings when he was staying with us and I knew he was still using drugs,” she said.

Mrs Reed said her son was also ‘struggling’ to come to terms with the death of his brother who had died in similar circumstances just two weeks before.

The coroner then read a statement from Mr Reed’s best friend, Charles David Gaunt, who said he has been left “devastated” by his death.

Mr Gaunt said Mr Reed had stayed with him the night before his death and said they drank alcohol and had taken a large quantity of prescription drugs.

The next day they bought Spice from a dealer on the street and went to a property in Wheatley Crescent where they consumed it.

Mr Gaunt said Mr Reed was ‘unresponsive’ shortly after taking Spice at which point an ambulance was called.

He said: “I am devastated by Brian’s death, it was so out of the blue. He was my best friend and I will miss him.”

The coroner concluded that the drugs in Mr Reed’s system had contributed to his death and recorded his cause of death as accidental.