TWO West Cork parents are warning others to be extremely vigilant about vapes containing cannabinoid substances, after one boy ended up spending 24 hours in hospital in a ‘zombie state’, while another man was diagnosed with substance abuse psychosis after using a specific type of branded HHC-containing vape.
It has also been maintained by one of the parents, that more and more cases of psychosis among teens are being presented to nurses and doctors at Bantry General Hospital, linked to this particular vape.
A regular (nicotine) vape usually contains nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin and flavourings, while the more potent HHC vape mainly contains a synthetic cannabinoid, to circumvent the fact that THC (the active component in cannabis) is illegal under Irish law.
Speaking to The Southern Star, the dad of a 12-year-old boy near Clonakilty – who does not wish to be named – said his son somehow managed to get hold of this vape about two months ago.
‘He appeared very drowsy one morning going to school. His class were going to a play in Cork city. He looked pale and was falling behind and I asked the teachers to just look out for him,’ he said.
‘They rang me back within 20 minutes and said he needed to be taken to hospital. Once I got up, I brought him to CUH and the doctors kept him in for 24 hours to monitor him. He was like a zombie throughout this time.’
Following a toxicology report the doctors said he was poisoned by HHC, and that it was not an isolated incident.
‘I had never seen anything like it before and it really scared me. Thankfully he’s fine now...I’ve also heard of other people of all ages getting into trouble with this vape.’
Meanwhile, the mum of one adult son, who also does not wish to be named, said it has been a terrifying experience for her family and one that is still ongoing with aftercare for her son.
‘It came out of the blue completely. He was grand one day and the next day he became completely psychotic. He had to be taken by ambulance up to A&E and was later brought down to Bantry General Hospital,’ she said.
‘He got so bad that he was smashing his head off the floor and he was placed in the psychiatric unit there as he was suffering from substance-induced psychosis.’
She said she only discovered afterwards the type of vape he had been using, as he usually used other vapes.
‘He was diagnosed in Bantry as being seriously ill and he was in the care of the hospital for over a week. One of the first things the nurses and psychiatrists told me was that they have seen lots of similar cases in West Cork linked to this vape.’
Speaking with The Southern Star, the man said: ‘It was like I was in a video game because that’s what I used to enjoy playing, but not so much anymore which I miss.’ he said.
‘I can remember how I was after using it and it’s not nice to go back to those times. It’s not worth your life or soul to use this vape for such little cost and care by the people who make it.’
His mother said it’s frightening that anyone can just walk into a vape shop and buy this product, which is much stronger than a regular (nicotine-containing) vape.
‘My son is a gentle nice guy but within half an hour he was completely transformed. It was almost like an instant switch and it turned him psychotic. It was really scary.’
While she admits parents can’t monitor their children all the time, she advises parents to be extremely vigilant about this vape.
‘If you see it, get rid of it immediately. The effect of this vape is almost instant. My son is still under follow-up care after trying this vape. It was touch-and-go there for a while and we are still getting there.’
Cllr Isobel Towse (SD) highlighted the issue at a meeting of the local authority this week, and called on the Minister for Health to add HHC to the list of controlled drugs.
She said Ireland needs to move faster to enact legislation to ban this highly dangerous drug.
‘We need to put the pressure on the Minister for Health to bring in legislation to ban this drug,’ said Cllr Towse.
‘Vape shops are profiting massively from something that is proving to be dangerous, particularly for young people and those with pre-existing mental illness. It’s far too easy for children and teens to get their hands on HHC.’
Cllr Towse added that the delay in banning the drug is unacceptable, and noted that the HSE has been expressing concerns about HHC for over a year.
