Incident at Cork school 'not an isolated case' as young people fall ill after vaping

Children and young people are increasingly falling ill from vaping cannabinoids, a leading HSE expert has warned.

Children and young people are increasingly falling ill from vaping cannabinoids, a leading HSE expert has warned.

Four teenagers became sick at a Cork school last week after vaping but this was not an isolated case, according to Professor Eamon Keenan, the HSE's national clinical lead for addiction services.

Just under 20 similar incidents have been reported this year in schools and recreational settings across the country, where children and young people have fallen ill after vaping substances, including suspected cannabinoids.

“It is happening and it is leading to problems,” Professor Keenan said.

“Cannabis is being marketed in new and appealing ways to young people - the edibles, the vapes - it's a concern.

“Synthetic cannabinoids can lead to significant mental health problems.

“Cannabinoids can cause anxiety, depression, and in some cases, psychosis.

“And the under 25s would be those that you're concerned about because their brains are still maturing, and they're more likely to have difficulties.” 

Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a semi-synthetic cannabinoid, is chemically similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive substance in cannabis and it is now available to buy in some vape shops, Prof Keenan said. 

It is being monitored as a new psychoactive substance by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

“HHC is a new substance which has come on the market. It seems to have similar effects to cannabis,” Prof Keenan said.

“We have heard about young people having adverse effects associated with that. Feeling unwell, vomiting, collapsing.” 

But as synthetic drugs like HHC can evolve and change rapidly, they can be difficult to police, legislate against, and test for, he said.

“We're trying to collate information around harms associated with HHC in particular. And it's right across Europe.” 

Vaping is now a serious concern for the HSE, he said.

“Vaping cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids is definitely a concern.

“Vaping is being promoted as this harmless activity, and certainly we wouldn't see that from a health service point of view.

“Cigarette smoking amongst young people had been decreasing quite nicely up until recently when there was an upsurge and that's been linked to vaping."

The use of e-cigarettes is highest among those under the age of 25, with 11% of that age group saying they either used them daily or occasionally.

“In Canada, about a third of youth who vape, vape cannabis, which is a big, big concern," Prof Keenan said.

“And sometimes people aren't vaping cannabis, they're vaping synthetic cannabinoids, which can lead to hospitalisations.”

Vapes should have generic packaging and health warnings like tobacco products to make them less visually appealing, and they should not be allowed to come in flavours to appeal to children, he said.

Meanwhile, a substance found in adulterated heroin potentially linked to an unprecedented spike in overdoses last week can be more deadly than fentanyl, the HSE has warned.

Nitazenes, found in heroin samples linked to recent overdoses in Dublin, have emerged in Europe as an increasingly popular and dangerous synthetic opioid, Prof Keenan said.

Some 57 overdoses have been reported since Thursday but the numbers started to fall rapidly from Friday following a public information campaign about the potential dangers of a batch of brown powder being sold as heroin.

Suspicious deaths are currently being investigated for any potential links to the drugs.

Synthetic opioids may be increasingly common in Europe because the Taliban has clamped down on the production of opioids in Afghanistan – the main opium poppy producer – leading to a 95% reduction in cultivation of the drug, Prof Keenan warned.

“This [sudden spike in overdoses] is not going to be an isolated incident,” he said.