THE mother of a Co Armagh man who died from a suspected overdose has made a heartfelt plea to others to stay away from drugs.
Siobhan McCabe said she "did not want to see any other family go through what we are going through" following the death of her 34 year-old son Aidan.
The body of the father-of-one from Camlough was found in a house in the Acorn Hill area of Bessbrook on Wednesday.
Police had initially said they were treating his death as murder and six people - three men and three women - were arrested.
But yesterday following a post mortem examination, police said "his death is no longer being treated as murder" and all six were released unconditionally.
Police said one woman, aged 39, was re-arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. She has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
Speaking to the Irish News last night, Mr McCabe's mother Siobhan told of how they have been left "absolutely devastated" by his death.
She said his battle with drug addiction had led him "down the wrong path".
"We always hoped he would come through all this," she said.
"The coroner said the post mortem was inconclusive, we have to await toxicology results. But we were told there were no injuries caused to Aidan that would have led to his death.
"But we know it's more than likely it was drugs, an overdose.
"Initially when we were told he'd died, we thought it would be drugs as the last few years he's had his troubles with drugs.
"But he had been doing so well, but just the last few weeks, something had changed and he had went down hill again."
Mrs McCabe described her son as a "gentle soul", but said he had "lost his way".
"He was a bricklayer from when he was 16 and went out to Australia and worked there for two years," she said.
"But when he came home, he got in with the wrong crowd and started to abuse drugs, that took him down the wrong path for about six or seven years.
"But he had been doing very well, he was living in the Praxis unit in Newry for about a year and a half and getting help and doing so well."
In an appeal to others facing drug addiction, Mrs McCabe said: "I just want other people to know what taking drugs can do to you, there needs to be more drug awareness and education, especially among young people so they know what they're getting into.
"I would try to tell Aidan, look at what drugs can do to people, to their families.
"It is every parent's nightmare, every family's nightmare, I don't want to see any other family go through what we are going through."
