Young people unknowingly smoking spice-spiked vapes
Published: 29/07/2024
A test of hundreds of confiscated vapes in 38 schools across England has revealed that one in six (16.6 per cent) vapes contained spice.
Spice, a synthetic street drug, can cause a wide range of dangerous side effects, including cardiac arrest.
The police, schools and researchers believe that spice is being substituted into vapes as it is cheaper. These vapes are then advertised and sold as containing cannabis oil.
Research by the University of Bath has found school children in England are unknowingly smoking vapes spiked with the synthetic drug spice. Chris Pudney, a professor at the University of Bath, conducted these tests using the world’s first portable device that can instantly detect synthetic drugs.
Working with concerned schools and police forces around the country, Chris tested 596 vapes confiscated from schools in England and discovered spice in 28 out of 38 (74 per cent) schools across London, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and South Yorkshire.
About one in six (16.6 per cent) of the vapes contained spice, while roughly one in 100 (1.17 per cent) contained THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis.
Chris has urged parents and guardians to discuss the serious health risks posed by illegal vapes with their children.
He said, "Teenagers think they are purchasing vapes or vape fluid containing THC or nicotine when, in fact, they are laced with spice. We know children can have cardiac arrests when they smoke spice, and I believe some have come quite close to death. Headteachers are telling me pupils are collapsing in the halls and ending up with long stays in intensive care.
“This is not just a niche, one-off occurrence that happens in a school far away from you; this is something common. As we go into the school holidays if we can have an open dialogue and talk with children about the risks they face, then they've got a chance of making a different choice.”
Echoing the concern is Ben Davis, headteacher at St Ambrose Barlow RC High School in Salford. Ben commented, “We’ve had specific instances of young people under the influence of spice. I recall one young man describing how his hands felt like cartoon hands. He couldn’t control them, and they felt like they didn’t belong to him. We’ve also witnessed two children collapsing.
“Dealing with the aftermath is challenging, especially when you have to explain to the child’s family that something potentially life-threatening happened while they were in our care. It’s equally distressing for their friends who witnessed the collapse and for the staff involved—it’s their worst fear realised.
“My message to families is, don’t assume your child is not involved. There’s a high chance they are, or they know someone who is. Please talk to them about it. Be open, non-judgmental, and accepting. As soon as you judge or blame, barriers will go up, and you won’t reach your child. This conversation is crucial for their safety."
To help combat this issue, Chris has deployed a spice detector to Devon and Cornwall Police.
Sarah Johns, chief inspector of Devon & Cornwall Police Prevention Command, said, “We have been aware of Professor Pudney’s work in quickly and accurately testing for the presence of controlled substances in vapes such as the synthetic cannabinoid spice and are pleased to be one of the forces which has received one of his devices for ongoing testing in our area. It will help us to ascertain the scale of this issue in Devon and Cornwall so that we can target resources most effectively.
“We work with schools across Devon and Cornwall, and in Plymouth our ‘Child Centred Policing Team’ has visited all secondary schools to educate pupils on the health risks of using illegal vapes containing THC or spice. Our clear message to all young people is that the risks associated with unregulated vapes are not worth it. Young people obtaining these fluids, or being offered them, will never be able to know for sure what’s in them and as Chris’ work indicates, if its spice then that could lead to serious harm.
Laura Bell, detective sergeant of GMP’s Organised Crime Unit in Salford, emphasised the importance of proactive measures to protect young people.
Laura said, “It’s important that we take a proactive approach to keep young people safe; we know one of the most effective ways of doing this is through education. It is vital that we engage with the young people and schools in our communities to do this.
“Unscrupulous vape sellers have no place in Greater Manchester and unregulated vapes are often intentionally marketed to young people, harming their health.
“GMP along with our partners, are committed to keeping illegal vapes off our streets. We will continue to take proactive action to tackle illegal vaping products and ensure that these potentially harmful products are inaccessible to young people.”
This is a national problem with reports of pupils having fallen seriously ill in schools across the country. Areas where schools or police have issued safety warnings include but are not limited to: Cornwall, Devon, Kent, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, London, Middlesborough, Somerset and the West Midlands.
Chris urged schools experiencing issues with spice-spiked vapes to come forward for testing and urges the government to prioritise this issue on a national level. He said, “Currently, this issue is being addressed regionally, but I urge the government to elevate it to a national harm reduction priority. I call on the Home Office and the Department for Education to highlight this problem and to provide police forces and schools with comprehensive harm reduction guidance and support."
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