A significant rise in teenage psychosis is being linked to vapes containing spice—a synthetic that mimics the effects of cannabis—prompting calls for further research and stricter enforcement in schools.
According to teachers and experts in the United Kingdom, spice-laced vapes have been associated with a spike in psychosis among teenagers. Spice, a synthetic drug designed to mimic the effects of cannabis, is used in vapes marketed to teenagers, often without their knowledge. While selling spice-laced vapes is illegal in Britain (carrying up to 14 years in prison), research from the University of Bath indicates that up to 25 percent of vapes confiscated from schools contain spice.
“In the last couple of years we’ve seen vaping take off so much, cigarettes are no longer an issue… We have had cases with students giving each other vapes where they don’t know what is in them but we suspect it has been spice,” said Lisa McCall, Headmistress at Wales High School in Rotherham, England.
Despite laws against spice-laced vapes, the substance itself remains unregulated. It can cause severe physical and psychological harm, especially to the developing brains of children, potentially causing early-onset psychosis and worsening mental health and educational outcomes.
Dr. Hilary Reed, a consultant psychiatrist with the National Health Service (NHS), who typically sees one or two cases of teen psychosis annually, noted a rise to 10 cases throughout last year. In an interview, Dr. Reed stated: “It does appear that there’s an association between vapes containing spice and psychotic illness… We can’t definitely say this is causative but the evidence does suggest these vapes are a huge issue that definitely needs more research, because my concern here is are we seeing the beginning of what could be a nationwide increase in psychosis among young people.”
A recent incident in April saw a 16-year-old student at Thomas Stone High School in Maryland hospitalized after using a vape laced with THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. The vape was obtained from another student.
