A study of 38 schools including some in Greater Manchester has found that Schoolchildren may be unknowingly smoking vapes spiked with the drug spice
Working with concerned schools and police forces around the country Professor Pudney tested 596 vapes confiscated from schools in England and discovered spice in 28 out of 38 (74%) schools across London, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and South Yorkshire.
About 1 in 6 of the vapes contained spice, while roughly 1 in 100 contained THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis.
With the school summer holidays approaching, Professor Pudney from the University of Bath who carried out the study is urging 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 this concern is Ben Davis, Headteacher at St Ambrose Barlow RC High School in Salford, who invited Professor Pudney to test a batch of confiscated vapes at the school in July. He said:
“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.”
“What do we do if it happens again and we’re unaware? One incident occurred on the playground, where many people were present to help. But what if it happens in a bathroom cubicle, and they are alone? It would only be when they didn’t show up for class, were marked absent, and we started searching for them, potentially finding them too late. We’ve been fortunate so far, but I believe it’s only a matter of time before serious injuries or fatalities occur.
“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.”
