Prince Harry’s praise for a psychedelic drug has been slammed by the family of a young woman who died after taking it.
And an MP yesterday blasted his revelations about ayahuasca as “dangerous and outrageously stupid’’.
In a 90-minute weekend livestream with controversial physician Dr. Gabor Maté, Prince Harry revealed the South American brew helped him cope with the trauma of his mum Princess Diana’s 1997 death.
Class A ayahuasca, a high from Amazon rainforest vines, is illegal in the UK.
Jennifer Spencer, 29, killed herself in 2019 after suffering psychosis from the drug during a yoga retreat in Peru.
At her inquest, the coroner issued an urgent alert to NHS England.
Jennifer’s aunt Fiona Chase, 73, of Andover, Hants, said of Harry’s revelation: “He should not be speaking positively about this drug. It’s irresponsible because a lot of people look up to him.
“It worked for him, but it certainly didn’t work for Jenny. Like every drug, different people react differently.”
The coroner’s warning said: “There is a lack of awareness about shamanic hallucinogenic drugs and their propensity to cause or exacerbate psychosis. In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths.”
MP Nigel Mills said: “Harry’s comments are clearly dangerous. What he said is a disgrace.
“If you have a coroner issuing warnings about this stuff then we should not have someone in such a high-profile position promoting and boasting about it. He is by no means a medical expert. His comments are outrageously stupid.”
A medical source insisted: “Harry’s comments are very troubling. Young people could see this as open season. The dangers are clear.”
