One in six vapes confiscated in schools in England contained the synthetic cannabinoid spice, according to research by the University of Bath.
Almost 600 vapes confiscated in 38 schools across the country were tested in partnership with the police and school authorities, with just under 17 per cent found to contain spice. One per cent contained THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis.
Vapes containing spice were found in three quarters of schools in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and across London. Researchers believe pupils were buying what they thought were vapes containing cannabis oil, rather than the cheaper spice.
‘Teenagers think they are purchasing vapes or vape fluid containing THC or nicotine when, in fact, they are laced with spice,’ said the University of Bath’s Professor Chris Pudney. ‘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. 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.’
While the issue is being addressed regionally, he urged the government to ‘elevate it to a national harm reduction priority’, he stated. ‘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.’ The full findings of the research are due to be published in an academic paper next month.
Meanwhile, new figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) show that UK drink driving deaths are at their highest level since 2009. It’s estimated that between 290 and 320 people were killed in 2022 in collisions ‘where at least one driver was over the drink-drive limit’, with a ‘central estimate’ of 300 deaths, says DfT. This means that almost 20 per cent of the year’s road deaths were drink-driving fatalities.
Reported road casualties in Great Britain involving illegal alcohol levels: 2022 available here