A KENT teenager who was given just three days to live when she fell into a coma with liver failure after taking ecstasy is warning others of the dangers of drugs.

A liver transplant saved Sarah Phillips' life and she now wants to warn others about the dangers of recreational drugs. "Never take that first one," she said. "It only takes one to kill you. Without my transplant I would have died."

Sarah, 19, a former pupil of Canterbury High School, never considered smoking, let alone taking drugs. But peer pressure to experiment came after her 18th birthday when she went clubbing with a new group of friends who introduced her to ecstasy.

Sarah took another half-tablet when in Ibiza and was sick for the rest of her holiday.

Her health deteriorated but because she denied taking drugs she could not be properly diagnosed. Eventually a biopsy showed she had damaged her liver.

"I wish I had come clean about the drugs," said Sarah, of Barnfield, Greenhill. "But my mum was so anti-drugs, so even though I was getting worse I still lied."

Sarah's mother Jan Tomlin finally got her to hospital where arrangements were made for her to go onto dialysis

But that night things got worse and she was taken to King's College Hospital, London, where liver failure was diagnosed.

"When they told me she had only three days to live I really thought we were going to lose her," said Mrs Tomlin. Fortunately for Sarah, news came of a liver which was a good match and the transplant went ahead.

Sarah stressed: "My advice is never take that first tablet."