- 1 in 6 vapes contain Spice
- Health risks: heart attacks, strokes
- Police, schools boost preventive measures
A frightening new study discovered that one in every six vapes confiscated from schoolchildren in England was spiked with Spice, the ‘zombie drug.
Testing hundreds of confiscated vaping devices from 38 schools revealed an alarming presence of the illicit synthetic street drug, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Police, schools, and experts believe the drug is being swapped into vapes labeled as containing cannabis oil.
Professor Chris Pudney, a biotechnology expert at the University of Bath, tested the world’s first portable gadget capable of quickly detecting synthetic medicines.
Working with concerned schools and police authorities, he examined 596 confiscated vapes and identified Spice in 28 38 (74%) schools in London, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and South Yorkshire.
One in every six vapes (16.6%) included Spice and one in every 100 (1.17%) contained THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis.
With the school summer vacation approaching, Professor Pudney urges parents and guardians to discuss the substantial health concerns posed by illegal vapes with their children.
He stated, “Teenagers believe they are purchasing vapes or vape fluid containing THC or nicotine when, in reality, they are laced with Spice.
‘We know that youngsters who consume Spice can experience cardiac arrests, and I believe some have died as a result.
‘Headteachers warn me that students are collapsing in the hallways and spending significant periods in intensive care units.
‘This is not a unique, one-time incident in a school far from you; it is pretty standard.
As we approach the school holidays, if we can openly communicate with children about the hazards they face, they may be able to make a different decision.
The disturbing findings came as official numbers revealed a staggering 733 percent increase in the number of children requiring medical care for vaping-related problems since 2020.
According to NHS England data, the habit has hospitalized youngsters as young as four.
Ben Davis, the headteacher of St Ambrose Barlow High School in Salford, invited Professor Pudney to evaluate a batch of confiscated vapes in July.
He stated, ‘We’ve had particular cases of young kids under the effect of spice. I recall one young man saying that his hands felt like cartoon hands. He had no authority over them, and they thought they did not belong to him.
‘We also saw two children collapse.
‘Dealing with the aftermath is difficult, especially when you have to explain to the child’s family that something possibly life-threatening occurred while they were in our care.
‘It’s equally upsetting for their pals who witnessed the collapse and the workers engaged – their worst fears have come true.’
He further stated that any child collapses in an unattended area, such as a toilet cubicle, may not be detected until it is too late.
We’ve been fortunate thus far, but I believe it’s only a matter of time before significant injuries or deaths occur,’ he said.
‘My message to families is not to think their children are not participating. There is a reasonable probability they are or know someone who is. Please talk with them about it.
Be open, nonjudgmental, and accepting. When you condemn or blame, you create obstacles that prevent you from reaching your child. This conversation is critical to their protection.’
Professor Pudney has provided Devon and Cornwall Police with a portable Spice detector to help address this issue.
Chief Inspector Sarah Johns stated that the device will help them determine the scope of the problem and allocate resources more effectively.
‘Our clear message to all young people is that the risks connected with unregulated vaping are not worth it,’ she stated.
‘Young kids who receive these fluids or are offered them will never know what is in them, and as Dr Pudney’s research shows, if it is spice, it might cause considerable harm.
‘There is also criminality and exploitation involved with the creation and distribution of vapes or fluids containing spice or THC, which we will confiscate whenever and wherever we become aware of their presence.’
Professor Pudney has also tested vapes in four Greater Manchester schools, overseen by Greater Manchester Police.
Detective Sergeant Laura Bell of GMP’s Organised Crime Unit in Salford emphasized the necessity of preventative actions to protect young people.
She stated, “It is critical that we take a proactive approach to keeping young people safe; we know that one of the most effective ways to do so is through education.” To accomplish this, it is critical that we collaborate with the youth and schools in our communities.
Students are educated about the dangers of drug use and unlawful vaping, including the possible harm to their health and the long-term ramifications for their futures.
‘We advise parents and guardians to dissuade their children from engaging in illicit activities and to remind them of the detrimental repercussions of drug use.
‘Unscrupulous vape vendors have no place in Greater Manchester, and unregulated vapes are frequently deliberately sold to young people, endangering their health.
‘GMP, together with our partners, is committed to taking illegal vapes off the streets. We will continue to take decisive steps to combat unlawful vaping and keep these potentially hazardous items out of the hands of young people.
Our operational work has seen us seize many vapes through a combination of store visits, raids, and warrants across any location where we receive intelligence.
Experts believe spice-laced vapes have generated a countrywide crisis, with students becoming seriously ill in schools around the country.
In January, five children were sent to the hospital, with one being left in a coma after smoking them.
The incident occurred in Eltham, South East London, when five teenagers aged 14 to 16 used a rechargeable vape with a blue liquid in a cartridge labeled ‘Vaporesso.’
Professor Pudney urged the government to prioritize the issue on a national scale.
He stated: “Currently, this issue is being addressed regionally, but I urge the government to make it a national harm reduction priority.”
I urge the Home Office and the Department for Education to raise awareness of this issue and provide comprehensive harm reduction guidance and support to police and schools.
It comes as the number of children smoking e-cigarettes has increased dramatically, with more than a third of 16 to 18-year-olds now frequently inhaling them.
For comparison, less than one in ten did so a decade earlier.
This is even though sales of vapes to under-18s are illegal, with anyone found selling them to youngsters facing penalties and punishment by Trading Standards.
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Campaigners have long blamed greedy manufacturers for the ongoing situation.
They allege that certain brands purposefully entice children with colorful packaging, like highlighter pens, and child-friendly flavors, like bubblegum and cotton candy, all at ‘pocket money’ pricing.
Measures to limit the availability of vapes to children were included in Rishi Sunak’s government’s planned Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which Keir Starmer’s Labour later adopted.
The rule would empower ministers to limit the flavors and promotion of vapes to combat the UK’s juvenile e-cigarette crisis.
This could affect how nicotine-laced vapes are exhibited in stores, shifting them away from other products like sweets.
