Warning issued over vapes laced with ‘highly addictive’ drug

• A new study has revealed that up to one in four vapes confiscated from secondary school pupils in England contain the synthetic drug 'spice'.
• Researchers from the University of Bath analysed nearly 2,000 e-cigarettes and e-liquids, finding spice in 13 per cent of overall samples, rising to around 25 per cent in London and Lancashire.
• Spice-laced vapes are easily available online and are often deceptively marked as containing THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, despite being a more dangerous and cheaper substance.
• Social media platforms, particularly TikTok, are significant channels for these sales, with 68 per cent of 'THC' products on TikTok found to contain spice, compared to 12 per cent on Facebook.
• The study's authors are calling for Ofcom to open an enforcement programme for online drug sales under the Online Safety Act, as many identified accounts selling these drugs remain active.

IN FULL

One in four vapes confiscated from students contain ‘highly addictive’ Spice drug