Spiked vapes being offered to children via social media

Schoolchildren are being offered vapes spiked with drugs that are being distributed via Snapchat, the Met Police has warned.

- MAYA OPPENHEIM

A letter sent to parents at a school in west London raised concerns about the risk of young people experiencing severe health problems after using vapes that contain drugs such as spice and THC.

Synthetic cannabinoids, better known by the street name spice, are substances made in labs designed to mimic the effects of cannabis that can cause chest pains, seizures, extreme anxiety and suicidal thoughts. They have been widely consumed in UK prisons for more than a decade.

The letter, exclusively shared with The Independent, alerts parents to a “concerning issue affecting our school community”, as it warns spice is a “harmful psychoactive” drug that can cause “severe health problems”.

It adds: “We wish to emphasise the importance of informing parents about the hazards associated with unregulated vape pens, given the recent surge in related incidents.

“Law enforcement authorities across London, including our local police officers, have seized numerous vapes from students in the past weeks. Some of these devices are currently undergoing testing to detect dangerous Class B substances such as spice or THC, the active component in cannabis.”