TEENS using vape devices to smoke a legal marijuana derivative are being hospitalised with psychosis, a Limerick addiction support worker has warned.
Mike Walsh, team leader with the Community Substance Misuse Team (CSMT), says the the trend is leading to serious physical and mental health problems, and possibly creating a means to recruit “runners” and new customers for dealers.
Hexahydrocannabihexol (HHC) is a freely available substance in Ireland and can be bought in many vape shops. Walsh also knows, from his work on the frontline, that “teenagers are using regular vapes and filling them with HHC”.
“You can buy it online. It’s banned in many European countries but not here. Depending where you get it, it can be very potent, much more than cannabis, and the effects are uncontrollable,” the told the Limerick Post.
He added that “we know from our own work that young people are being introduced to this substance as a means of grooming them” into a drug-tolerant culture.
“It’s a fact that young people are being admitted to psychiatric wards from using this in vapes. They can collapse. It’s a substance that’s only legal here because we haven’t made it illegal.”
HHC is a chemically modified or semi-synthetic version of a natural cannabinoid found in cannabis.
Other issues with it’s use involve young people being introduced to it, often, Walsh and his co-workers in the addiction support area suspect, for nefarious reasons.
“Older lads are giving younger teems the stuff and telling them ‘have a go of this – it’s lovely. It relaxes you.’ But the effects are very unpredictable and young people are being admitted to psychiatric wards for long periods after using it,” Mike says.
Another issue inhaling HHC in vapes includes unsuitable burning temperatures in devices intended for its use.
“HHC has to burn at 195 degrees – that’s much hotter than a normal vape is designed for. What chemicals and melted metals are being inhaled and what are the long-term health results of that?” Mike asks.
“The bottom line is, kids are ending up in psych wards because of the use of a legal substance. Why are we allowing that to happen when so many European countries have seen the dangers and banned it?”
Last year, then Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, answering questions in the Dáil, said that HHC was first identified in Europe in May 2022 and was put under intensive monitoring by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA ).
“Early warning in Ireland is co-ordinated by the EMCDDA National Focal Point and the Early Warning, Emerging Trends (EWET) working group chaired by the Department of Health. EWET continues to monitor the emergence and use of this substance in Ireland,” he told the Dáíl.
“HHC has been reported as a drug of concern by HSE and adolescent service providers. HHC can be contained in vaping products. There is growing concern on the potential impact of using this substance on young people’s mental health, including the possible link with psychosis. Young people report adverse effects such as loss of consciousness after use,” Mr Donnelly said.
He added that the HSE would “add content about HHC to its website, drugs.ie”.
“Evidence in relation to harms associated with HHC will be carefully monitored and appropriate responses will be considered.”
