The availability of illegal vapes containing spice has come to our attention because there have been a few recorded incidents of children in Bristol using them. The children affected believe they are vaping CBD or cannabis but the impact of vaping spice instead has lead to hospitalisations in some cases. Here is some information produced by Lewisham providing more information: Information-on-Adulterated-Vapes-in-Schools_Lewisham.pdf (foresthill.lewisham.sch.uk)
Vapes sold in reputable shops (disposable or reusable) are made to stringent safety standards and are difficult to tamper with. We are aware of a market in illegal vapes which are not made to any safety standards and therefore carry a greater risk to health, as well as illegal sales of both legal and illegal/counterfeit vapes to children. If you require further CPD/ training there is a webinar taking place:
Bristol Public Health colleagues have provided the following to support you to take action.
Reporting:
If you are aware of illegal cigarettes or vapes, or illegal sales to children, this can be reported anonymously here: Report IT - Trading Standards South West (tssw.org.uk). Children and young people can also be encouraged to use this link. Trading Standards work with local authorities, police, education, and wider partners to gather intelligence and take action against the illegal cigarette and vape trade.
Whole school approaches:
These are of course very worrying cases and deal with wider concerns around illegal substances. It is most likely that where there are hospitalisations occurring as a result of ingesting illegal substances using a vape, the harm is mostly caused by the illegal substances rather than the vape itself. Addressing substance misuse broadly can be more effective than tackling issues around vaping alone.