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Original poster

THC vapes spiked with spice rife in schools...

107 replies

Totallybannanas · 18/03/2024 23:12

We have letters warning us that children have been hospitalised due to vaping unknown substances. Other schools all over our town have also had issues and children arrested for dealing or hospitalised. Tonight a 14 year old child from my son's school died from vaping THC spiked with spice and other substances. How can we stop this? I know we can educate our children and talk to them but these vapes are everywhere. The government have been too slow to react to this market.

OP posts:
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6
TeaPleaseX · 19/03/2024 09:20

What area was this?

TakeOnFlea · 19/03/2024 09:26

"11 year old died in Lancaster a couple of weeks ago after 'chroming' came on to say it was vaping but I don't think that's been established."

No. That was absolutely fuck all to do with vaping. It was a can of spray deodorant for a TikTok "challenge".

As for schools finding vapes all over and locking the toilets, well yes, guess what? Teenagers go to school. We were protesting about the toilets being locked in the 80s, except back then it was fags and poppers.

Ohwhatfuckeryitistoride · 19/03/2024 09:27

We've had two hospitalizations and two.subsequent pxs due to spiked vapes at my school. Not an urban myth. And kids share vapes,esp thc ones.

NashvilleQueen · 19/03/2024 09:28

I think they work for the following reasons:

Vapes are cheap and more attractive to children who might otherwise be nervous about taking other drugs

They are less 'obvious' both to the gangs and to the child than carrying drugs around because they look just the same as legal vapes but the contents are obviously much more dangerous.

Vapes are, for whatever reason, very popular with teens.

You can probably cut and paste that link into a browser if you're keen to learn or alternatively you can just ignore what people are trying to tell you which is that this is a genuine concern. You may not believe it and it may never affect you or your child but it's not fanciful nor fabricated and it makes sense to be vigilant.

NashvilleQueen · 19/03/2024 09:29

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/county-lines#article-top

Does this one work?

notmoredirtywashing · 19/03/2024 09:31

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

It's not made up. It happened in Plymouth and, as I know the person, I can say that it's all true and has been going on for some time.

veryawkwardohno · 19/03/2024 09:37

HelloMiss · 19/03/2024 08:34

Fentanyl is hot on the heels of spice....will be the next big problem

Not in the UK it won't . It makes no sense whatsoever for fentanyl to be added to any
thing. Drug dealers aren't trying to give away free drugs to kids.
is has a big prescription/opiates drug problem. We have easier access to heroin than the us, it makes no sense here for that to be a thing. However even in the us where fentanyl is an issue, it's NOT an issue in weed because laced weed is just not something that happens

MiltonNorthern · 19/03/2024 09:41

NashvilleQueen · 19/03/2024 09:28

I think they work for the following reasons:

Vapes are cheap and more attractive to children who might otherwise be nervous about taking other drugs

They are less 'obvious' both to the gangs and to the child than carrying drugs around because they look just the same as legal vapes but the contents are obviously much more dangerous.

Vapes are, for whatever reason, very popular with teens.

You can probably cut and paste that link into a browser if you're keen to learn or alternatively you can just ignore what people are trying to tell you which is that this is a genuine concern. You may not believe it and it may never affect you or your child but it's not fanciful nor fabricated and it makes sense to be vigilant.

If you're responding to me I never said this wasn't a genuine concern. I just dislike misinformation (though as pp have pointed out I was wrong about ecstasy deaths). I don't agree that giving young people false information is helpful as a tactic to 'scare' them.

HelloMiss · 19/03/2024 09:45

@veryawkwardohno

It was in the news only this week

And actually yes, drug dealers DO give away small 'samples' of drugs....to hook in new users and county lines runners

veryawkwardohno · 19/03/2024 09:45

Pretty much all THC vapes in the uk are made with synthetic cannabinoids, because it's cheaper and easier to make them that way. I would be very worried about my kids using them tbh I have used them myself but they are not for me, really weird high, quite scary feeling and made me feel awful. The problem is kids think it's harmless because it's "just weed"
weed is very safe, which gives the illusion that random counterfeit thc vapes would therefore be safe but they are far from it.

Ursulla · 19/03/2024 09:59

But that is not "spiking". It's substandard products being sold on an unregulated market. As happens with all street drugs.

3luckystars · 19/03/2024 10:02

I feel like the only one who has never even heard of ‘spice’ except in Dune.

HelloMiss · 19/03/2024 10:02

So how are teachers supposed to keep themselves safe when kids are off their heads on spice? Not to mention the other pupils

Guess not a lot can be done

TakeOnFlea · 19/03/2024 10:03

"But that is not "spiking". It's substandard products being sold on an unregulated market. As happens with all street drugs."

Correct.

DanceSingandhavefun · 19/03/2024 10:05

It's absolutely shocking. This shouldn't be happening. I'm absolutely sick to death of this government at the moment.

HelloMiss · 19/03/2024 10:06

Why are you blaming the government?

Cheeesus · 19/03/2024 10:09

DanceSingandhavefun · 19/03/2024 10:05

It's absolutely shocking. This shouldn't be happening. I'm absolutely sick to death of this government at the moment.

If you buy illegal vapes with THC in, then they might be harmful. Am I missing something?

veryawkwardohno · 19/03/2024 10:11

Ursulla · 19/03/2024 09:59

But that is not "spiking". It's substandard products being sold on an unregulated market. As happens with all street drugs.

Yeah. People are very reluctant to be honest with their kids about drugs though. Taking the 'all drugs are terrible' stance and fear mongering about "spiked" vapes is what allows this stuff to be a problem imo. People should tell their kids that we don't trust random drug dealers to make vapes safely and why and that just smoking actual weed is far far safer. Kids aren't stupid and lying to them that al drugs are equally unsafe and bad isn't going to help then make safe decisions at all

Beefcurtains79 · 19/03/2024 10:14

Itscatsallthewaydown · 19/03/2024 07:47

This sounds like a classic moral panic in response to an urban legend.

No it doesn’t. What an odd response.

Ursulla · 19/03/2024 10:31

@veryawkwardohno agree but it's not just parents - that Independent article is irresponsible. Obviously kids lie to their parents eg "I didn't know it was drugs! I don't buy drugs!" and some parents won't probe any further but a newspaper absolutely should.

User19792 · 19/03/2024 12:23

The government needs to tackle the issue head on. Legalise cannabis, magic mushrooms etc and heavily tax/regulate the shops. ALL the kids I know doing this think they are 'smoking weed'. They have no fucking idea. It is insane the speed at which vapes have become problematic in primary schools.

HelloMiss · 19/03/2024 12:30

No thanks. I don't want cannabis legalised

What happens with the Violence and aggression from users if it's legalised?

User19792 · 19/03/2024 12:34

It is rife now, it is everywhere. And kids are very vulnerable when in contact with drug dealers. They are exposed to county lines and hard drugs which are pushed on them when they 'are out of bud'. I work in this sector and see the devastation of spice, crack, cocaine and heroin everyday.
The 'violence and aggression" of coke addicts and those denied a fix is a major issue but I do not see a strong correlation for cannabis.

It is certainly not ideal but the younger generations have turned away from alcohol and towards cannabis, we need to engage with this and ensure they are safe and understand what they are using.

MiltonNorthern · 19/03/2024 12:53

HelloMiss · 19/03/2024 12:30

No thanks. I don't want cannabis legalised

What happens with the Violence and aggression from users if it's legalised?

What violence and aggression from cannabis users? Have you ever met a stoned person?

NotAnotherRoyalThread · 19/03/2024 12:58

Spice and THC vapes are widespread at the moment. We have had two students in hospital after using them, one with a seizure. A week doesn’t go by when we don’t have a First Aid incident involving this.

FE college though, not school.