I do not feel sorry for any youngster that drinks too much alcohol and ends up in hospital. If my sister did that, beleive me I will tell her the same thing. I will make sure that she does not receive any sympathy because she should know better. They all know the consequences..they are not stupid..they have all heard this many times. The problem with young people is that they think that partying equals getting drunk. You don't have to get drunk to have a good time!! If you go to a party, please feel free to dance the night away and party all you can...you don't have to be drunk to enjoy a party. The sooner we get this in our heads, the better.

By chuma.. Posted February 3 2010 at 7:30 AM.

Its a shame so many of your feedback comments were so negative. I have only recently been discharged from hospital after a stay of two months, alcohol related. i was in intensive care for three weeks and most of that time in a coma. I suffered multi organ faliure, DVT and severe pnumonia and was kept alive by machine. I nearly died. I have the upmost respect for you in coming forward to tell your story as a warning to others. It is not only binge drinking that can have such severe impact on your life. I am 36 and had been a light/heavy drinker since i was 17. Best wishes for your health and the future. And I am not in the slightest bit bothered about never drinking again!

By Chris.. Posted March 14 2009 at 5:13 PM.

hi i would like to say that Katie is one brave lass to take on the media and tell her story...any body of her age can do the same in england but because it was magaluf she is made out to be some kind of beer monster... katie obviously has to live the pain as a constant reminder of what has happened to her and also has to suffer the ordeal of having to have operations to keep her alive and well.. the same thing could have happened to anyone she was jus unfortuante it was her.. glad you have put your point across to other people ...

By kerry mcguigan .. Posted February 28 2009 at 10:17 PM.

as a close friend of katie and fellow worker in magaluf it strikes me as odd that this article portrays her as a binge drinker i served most of the alcohol that katie consumed and must admit she drank a lot less than most people i think she was just unlucky, she dealt with the whole ordeal very bravely and is a lovely girl who i'll always be close to.

By sean mcguigan.. Posted February 27 2009 at 5:23 PM.

Poor girl. She comes across as a decent person...just one who got far, far too carried away with English style binge drinking. Still, she's paying a heavy (and harsh) price for something most young Britons do.

But I don't think it will ever be possible to eradicate British style boozing. Afterall it's a culture that you'd be fighting against. Heck, I remember reading about how peasants who worked the fields in medieval England would be found passed out in barns every night from being on the ale!! My point is that Britain has always boozed to excess and sadly always will.

Anyway, best of luck to Katie Lings...she deserves some good luck in the future.

By Rob.. Posted February 27 2009 at 12:01 AM.

When me and my mates were out there I rememeber we went on one of them massive bar crawls with them, It was one of the 7 amazing nights we spent there. She sold us our tickets. Its abit of a coinsidence she has been in the paper, and on the net! I wish her a speedy recovery and hope she gets better for the future.

By Josh!.. Posted February 26 2009 at 4:56 PM.

As the aunty of katie i feel i must add my comment . NONE OF YOU commenting on my niece know her as i do, she is a beautiful fun loving YOUNG LADY who still as the world at her feet , yes she drank whilst in magaluf and yes she now as to pay the price,but to you steven she isnt no lily allen nor peaches geldof,she isnt moronic nor does she think shes clever,this story my katie tells is to warn any youngster of the damage drink can do and if it can save any teenagers who are thinking of starting drinking then katie in my eyes as done a brave thing in coming forward to tell her story.

By debbie.. Posted February 24 2009 at 5:33 PM.

That was a hell of a wake-up call. I hope she stays off the booze. I'm a child of an alcoholic, so I've seen the fight to stay strong in the face of temptation... and she's so young and will have so much temptation in front of her.

It's funny... I never really realized how much social drinking goes on with my friends until recently. I'm trying to conceive, so I've been voluntarily off the hooch, and it has surprised me how many times I've had to say 'no', just at some of our usual get-togethers. Dinners, going bowling, weekly social engagements, playing video games at home...so many times I'd usually have a drink or two.

By Liz.. Posted February 23 2009 at 7:41 PM.

I'm glad Katie has posted a comment. Shows she's committed to promoting the dangers of alcohol. What's sad though, is that you get a group of naive young people defending an indefensible position, claiming this is just what happens on holiday in Magaluf, and that it's not a surprise that middle class people don't understand. How stupid is that?! The whole point is that nobody whatever class, race or gender is forced to drink to excess. Nobody actually forces the drinks down peoples' necks. NOBOBY SHOULD HAVE TO BE TOLD THAT DRINKING PINTS OF VODKA EVERY DAY IS HARMFUL!!!!!!! IT'S SIMPLE COMMON SENSE!!!!! It's too easy to claim that the government should be doing this or that the parents didn't do that. There's enough education available, either at school, or even on TV. Even storylines on Eastenders and Hollyoaks have been dedicated to alcohol abuse!! And one person asked what else is there for young people to do, and whether us boring older generation (I'm 26) were happy with our book clubs? Well maybe consider having a night out without drinking yourself to oblivion. It's pretty simple, have a few pints, chat up a few girls or guys, have a dance, then wake up 2moro without feeling awful. You don't need to be drunk to have a good time unless YOU'RE actually boring, drinking to cover up your lameness. Nobody has to get drunk. And anybody who drinks to the extent that it rots their insides by the age of 23 has no-one to blame but themselves. It's just simple common sense!

By Steven.. Posted February 23 2009 at 2:32 AM.

A lot of people should take note of just how close Katie came to dying.

I am 65, been there, got the 't' shirt and all that, and it was only 14 months ago that I took notice of the doctors, and finally stopped drinking. And it is not easy.

All this partying and heavy drinking is not cool, and if only some of you could see what a cirhotic liver looks like, you would seriously consider stopping, or at least
cutting back to a more acceptable level. Most of you don't have a clue what serious heavy drinking is all about. Because damage can be done with very heavy binge drinking, over a relatively short period of time, a distorted picture makes peope think that just a few drinks now and then will affect them.

The so called safe limits that are used as a guide are
over exagerated, and many people can quote that their elder relatives (grandads), like mine, drunk far in excess of these limits and lived into their late seventies or more.

So, just take it easy, and give yourself a break now and again. Also, never judge people like Sam, or was it Lea, who seems to think Katie and - or - her mates may well be boring without a drink. Go back to shool and learn how to spell first!

Good health to all of you.

By Allan.. Posted February 22 2009 at 10:30 PM.

Another example of Labours broken society!

By tony regan.. Posted February 22 2009 at 10:13 PM.

Like Katie, I have worked in 'Party Resorts' and binge drinking is very common and dare I say encouraged. A lot of bars and clubs offer 'buy 1 get 1 free' 'free shots' 'fishbowls and cocktails for groups'.

When I was over there I drank and drank and drank. I was drunk for weeks on end and not once did I think about what was happening to my body. I put on weight, my skin was terrible, I would sleep all day and as soon as I woke in the late afternoon I was looking forward to getting drunk that evening. I ate one meal a day this was normally from a fast food take out.

I am in no way blaming clubs, pubs, pr people or my friends because at the end of the day it was my own choice to do it. I think it's all to easy to get carried away with the party atmosphere. It's not big or clever but you have to learn from your mistakes.

This girl nearly died, I don't think she has came forward with this story for kudos. She has learnt the hard way.

I am never going to be 'Tee Total' but I will never drink in the same way as I did.

By Dannii.. Posted February 22 2009 at 9:36 PM.

Some of these comments are just stupid, i can totally relate to katie. Infact i think i've seen you there before as i have worked in Magaluf for the last 2 years for 6 months at a time

And i know exactly what it's like over there. I see what people are saying, some dont drink when they go on holiday, thats easy when you're only going away for a week or 2. But when you're working there you try to be on the same level as everyone else, especially when you're trying to sell the drinks. So you think oh one more wont hurt (obviously it does)

And as for vodka redbull, you were obviously drinking Rushkinoff which is a local spanish vodka that has not been distilled and gives you terrible sore throats and memory loss, it is basically full of crap. And after my first year of working there i had bad kidney pains frequently and my skin and appearance was awful so i promised myself i'd never touch the stuff again!!

Im really glad you've told your story, and you're not stupid at all, just living for the moment and now its turned for the worse. But you've made the right decision by telling everyone your story, and a few of us that worked in Magaluf last year are having serious 2nd thoughts now!

I hope everything turns out ok for you for the future!

By L.. Posted February 22 2009 at 9:13 PM.

Sam - I am 28 years old - I still go out and have been going out a lot longer than you at only 18 - altho i remember being 18 and thinking I knew so much more. I have also done the repping and travelling. You do not have to drink yourself stupid. Dont try to justify your actions. I have drank myself legless a lot of times, when I was very young and VERY stupid. But I grew up, I learned how to have a laff wit my mates wivout gettin wasted, that and no embarrassing broken memories the next day. Me n my mates have a riot when we go out, I still drink, I even get drunk sumtimes, but not wasted, sumtimes I even drive to save the taxi fare and dont drink at all. I still have a laff - maybe you are too boring or ur m8s r too boring for you to have fun wivout gettin wasted.

By lea.. Posted February 22 2009 at 6:24 PM.

"I am a 18 year old male and when you go to Magaluf, you drink... alot! "

Speak for yourself, I am an 18 year old girl and when I went to Magaluf I hardly drank at all, a cocktail every now and again but I was NEVER drunk or out of control. It's called knowing your limits and common sense, sadly most people of my age lack these things and will continue to go to Magaluf and drown their livers. Learn from this girls mistakes!

By Jennifer.. Posted February 22 2009 at 5:34 PM.

this is not the way to die.

By bss gaba.. Posted February 22 2009 at 5:29 PM.

I dont think Katie is trying to look clever. She is simply pointing out the damage that even short term alcohol abuse at a serious level can do. I, like millions of others have gone on holiday to Magaluf and the like and also have gone out on a regular basis drinking at weekends. However drunk we have got we have never been involved in fights, violence, abuse, caused damage or needed medical attention. You can enjoy yourself without causing carnage. I also find it pathetic to say that youngsters have no choice but to drink - you always have a choice - I dont recall being offered lots of things to do - you find something to do.

I had the same upbringing and opportunities as one of my best friends who unfortunately became an alcoholic and suffered a brain haemorrhage about 18 months ago - she is lucky to be alive and can never drink again. She realises how lucky she is and is a better person now. It is just a shame she had to get to that point to realise it.

I feel sure Katie will have a great future ahead of her. She has been honest and learned from her mistakes. I see nothing wrong with drinking within reason. So yes Carl alcohol is legal - if people choose to abuse it, yes it will cause harm as will most things.

By Jane.. Posted February 22 2009 at 5:10 PM.

Alright people dont crucify katie she is a brave soul to have come out to tell her story,however its very sad she's ending up like this it is a lesson for all of us to learn from.Katie do you believe in miracles,you can be cured and live a very healthy adult life,only if u believe.

By Kayode Ladenegan.. Posted February 22 2009 at 3:11 PM.

I think she is brilliant to come foreard and admit her mistakes, which is such a brave thing to do and she obviously didn't know what the consequences would be at the time.
I had to give up alcohol 2 years ago because i became addicted to booze and cocaine. Since i stopped drinking and taking drugs my life is more wonderful that I could ever have imagined. I'm not saying it was easy to do. At first i thought, thats it my life is over, I will never have fun again. How wrong I was, I actually enjoy life now instead of spending my time constantly recovering form a binge. I am finally the person i always wanted to be. Its was all an illusion that drinking made me happy in the first place.
I wish you all the best Katie, there is a great life out there for you and don't listen to the doom mongers, you are doing a good thing sending your message of warning to those that may be on the same path as you, don't let anyone tell you different. Life without alcohol is a great one, no doubt about it!

By Andria.. Posted February 22 2009 at 3:02 PM.

I'm a 33 year old man, who does not drink, my partying days are far from over, i just don;t drink alcohol.

There is no medical reason for me not to, i just chose not too. I dont class myself as an old man.

By mark.. Posted February 22 2009 at 2:09 PM.

no brains??? I hope this sad story will be a good lesson to some people... I can't believe that humans can be sooooo stupid!!!
anyway, good luck Katie Lings, and take care of your health!x

By Elena.. Posted February 22 2009 at 1:59 PM.

I would just like to tell all readers that i never said i was trapped in the body of an old women, that has been added by whoever wrote the story. I appreciate all your comments, however i think some of you are quite harsh in your judgements...yes i was silly & made a mistake & i am clearly paying for it now. I have told my story to try & warn the millions of other young adults who do this & don't realise what their doing to their bodies. Being called stupid & silly doesn't help matters & makes me wish i'd never of tried to warn others....well done to all of you who have clearly lived life as you should & never made a mistake.

By Katie Lings.. Posted February 22 2009 at 1:55 PM.

Yes, Carl, alcohol is legal in the UK, Australia, USA, Europe etc. This woman has abused alcohol and is paying a price, but I wish her well for the future. You can abuse cars and kill yourself. Cars are legal.

By Peter.. Posted February 22 2009 at 1:18 PM.

Drinking NEEDS to be looked at. It is so dangerous, and costs us thousands of pounds each week on policing, and paramedics, it's disgusting and stupid!

A bar over here isn't supposed to serve a drunk person, so why is it every Friday and Saturday scores of drunk people crowd the streets starting fights like neanderthals? Bars should take more responsibility, and should be fined and punished for the mess they are creating, as our society can't seem to take responsibilty for themselves.

Something needs to change, and fast.

By Emma.. Posted February 22 2009 at 1:05 PM.

What a shame that this woman decided to act like this. In my opinion she has a good body, very pretty face & could be a model - surely that is a better option?

By Steve.. Posted February 22 2009 at 12:32 PM.

and alcohol is Legal ??????????????????????????

By Carl warmington.. Posted February 22 2009 at 12:36 PM.

She is still a young girl who has learned a lesson - partying days are not over at all, she can drink non alcoholic drinks and still enjoy herself. The problem seems tobe that some people think enjoying yourself is all about getting absolutely legless andif you cant do that you cant enjoy yourself - how wrong!

By Janet.. Posted February 22 2009 at 11:26 AM.

I like the fact people commenting on this story are probably older middle-classed people who work too hard and don't know how to relax other than going to book club.

I am a 18 year old male and when you go to Magaluf, you drink... alot!
I too after only spending 14 days drinking 24 hours a day got gastritis so working there promoting is a dangerous job.
When people go they expect to drink. So as she must have been working alot promoting getting free drinks it would have damaged her.
Theres not enough ads in this country promoting alcohol abuse, just cigarettes.
They say all kids do is drink, what is there else to do! This is why you get the stories of teenagers over drinking and getting into drink-fuelled fights.
The older public look at all teenagers as menacing drunken yobs.
So as teenagers drink and get looked upon they confront, get there back up and get into fights.
Most children in this country grow up with single mums and don't have a proper role model in their life. If they did and had support to control their problems, we may have a more peaceful stress-free coutry. And trust me i supposedly live in the crime capital of Nottingham.

By Sam .. Posted February 22 2009 at 11:40 AM.

Poor girl,she had no idea whilst doing it the damage she was doing.I abused alcohol for years,ended up not being able to live with it or without it,thankfully I found an answer and have not drank alcohol for many years a day at a time.Hope Katie has a happy life without alcohol,it is possible and it aint rocket science,just dont pick up the first drink.

By Teresa.. Posted February 22 2009 at 11:47 AM.

Hi to all you wounderful news of the world readers Studini here giving you his thoughts.

I think the lady in question should not down spirits because they are consumed quicker but maybe 2 pints ok of larger .
Also may I say you needs to wack some good tucker down her not , nuts and pork scatching and kerbabs or french fry but maybe fruit and wild nuts and berries may be good as they got many of them vitiam things in them.

So Studini recommends only small amounts of larger not too much and lay off the spirts and cider and lamburi and so forth .

Good luck as you seem a very intelligent lady like me although im a man .

Thank you all for reading my post may I wish you all a loverly Sunday and get reading the most wounderful news paper in the worls The news of the world.

Regards Studini.

By studini.. Posted February 22 2009 at 10:15 AM.

She shouln't be thinking that she's 'trapped in the body of an old woman' with all her partying days behind her. After a few months she will find how much she was missing in life before. Sobriety offers a whole new life, achievements, new interests, better friends and partners, enjoyment in the good things in life, and the money she will save that would have been spent on so much alcohol will soon mount up, and she's a very attractive lady, certainly not an 'old woman.' One drink is too many, and a thousand is not enough, and nothing is so bad that a drink can't make it worse.

By Chris Green.. Posted February 22 2009 at 9:28 AM.

we should be teaching kids at school the effect drink does to your body she cant be very bright if she thinks drinking in the morning till night does you any good,i would be ashamed to tell anyone one what happend to common scence,but i do hope she makes a recovery.

By carol.. Posted February 22 2009 at 9:27 AM.

Going out and getting drunk is very dull, there is a lot more to life then getting drunk. Sadly we seem to associate having a good time with Alcohol.

Lets hope she can resist temptation to start drinking again.

By Lewie.. Posted February 22 2009 at 9:22 AM.

I'm glad she's told her story, you tell younger people the damage they are doing and it falls on deaf ears. Somebody who's living proof of the damage caused might just act as a wake up call to some people. ALcohol abuse is as damaging as alcoholism.

I also agree the 'old woman' comment is aimed at the state of her body not a regret for her lack of partying now. Quite clear if you read it.

By Rachel.. Posted February 22 2009 at 8:38 AM.

E Thompson - I think she means that with all the ailments she now has, her body is that of an old woman, not because she must not drink any more she is like an old woman.
Still, I can knock them back a bit when I'm on holiday, but this amount of booze is stupidity. Silly girl, look at the damage she has done to herself.

By Trisha.. Posted February 22 2009 at 5:44 AM.

“I’m a 23-year-old girl trapped in the body of an old woman with all my partying days behind me. "

So her definition of an old woman is someone who doesn't go out getting wrecked! I'm 'an old woman' - I like a party as much as the next girl - I just don't see the sense in making myself ill to do it. I probably don't even drink 50 units a year - let alone a day. Yet I am still able to enjoy myself.....and remember what have done!

By E Thompson.. Posted February 22 2009 at 5:14 AM.

Well, isn't she clever. Maybe she can now count herself amongst the other moronic girls who think they can drink their weight in alcohol every week and get away with it. Maybe now she's just like her idol Lily Allen, or Peaches Geldof or Sarah Harding, or any number of these tragic characters who are meant to act as role models. And I'm sure all the guys thought she was such a classy girl as she threw up after her pints of vodka Red Bull. When will these young women learn that there's nothing clever about destroying their bodies and leaving themselves open to mental, physical and sexual abuse from the moronic guys who drink even more than them. What great stories this stupid girl will have to tell her grandkids! That's if she lives that long. What a stupid waste of her youth.

By Steven.. Posted February 22 2009 at 3:30 AM.