‘Concerning’ increase in under-18s presenting to addiction services due to legally available cannabis vapes

There has been a “concerning” increase in the number of children and young people presenting to addiction services with mental health problems due to legally available, semi-synthetic cannabis vaping products, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has said.

Prof Eamon Keenan, the national clinical lead of addiction services at the HSE, said there are newly emerging cannabinoids, namely HHC, with which young people are experimenting.

“Since Covid, we’ve seen an increase in the number of young people who are vaping. While we had been experiencing a very pleasing downward trend in nicotine consumption among young people. The vaping seems to have taken hold and so we are seeing an increase in vaping,” he said.

“One of the things that has emerged in recent years is a drug called HHC in these vapes. We’re particularly concerned about that because it’s being sold legally in some of the vape shops.”

Prof Keenan said consultants working in the adolescent addiction services are seeing a “significant number” of young people presenting with mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, associated with the use of this substance.

“It wasn’t an issue but now about 20 per cent of their presentations seem to be associated with this in the addiction services for adolescents. That is a significant number as it just emerged as a drug in May 2022. It was put under intensive monitoring by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs addiction in 2023,” he said.

According to the most recent statistics from the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS), there were around 600 presentations to addiction services nationally for those aged under 18 in 2022.

In a recent study, psychiatrists and doctors from University of Galway and Mercy University Hospital Cork, documented psychotic illness linked to the use of HHC.

Prof Keenan was speaking at the launch of the Safer Nightlife programme 2024 to reduce drug harm this summer, during which they have “surrender bins” in which festivalgoers can surrender drugs for testing.

The HSE is running ‘Back of House’ drug checking at four festivals: Mother Pride Block Party on June 28th and 29th; District 8 Garden Party on August 9th; Electric Picnic on August 16th to 18th; and District X September 21st.

Nicki Killeen, HSE Project Manager Emerging Drug Trends, said the drug landscape has “completely changed” over the past four years.

“It is a new landscape, particularly since Covid. There are new types of people using drugs, new types of drugs and greater availability,” she said.

“You would’ve seen club drugs being used in certain clubs, now it’s in bars, house parties, festivals; there is no setting within the nightlife that isn’t going to have these problems presenting.”

Last summer, through this programme, the HSE found MDMA pills ranging from 50mg to 246mg – which is twice the average dose – and which would pose a significant risk to the health of those using the drugs.

“While Ketamine is not a new drug, it has re-emerged as a trend, particularly among younger age groups. What we found was young people using were completely uneducated about the effects,” he said.

“They thought it was a club drug which means they thought they would get stimulation. They were not prepared for the dissociative or mental health effects of ketamine. Ketamine is linked to bladder damage, so there could be new healthcare challenges from these trends but we’ll have to develop that over time.”