Hard-hitting video campaign highlights dangers of contaminated vapes, ketamine and synthetic opioids bought online
Drug poisoning deaths have reached a record high and the Government has issued an urgent warning to young people.
Vapes contaminated with “zombie drug” Spice, contaminated ketamine and synthetic opioids are causing serious harm to young people and even costing some their lives. Drug poisoning deaths reached 5,448 in England and Wales in 2023, the highest number since records began in 1993. This is up from 4,907 in 2022 and such deaths have now increased every year since 2012. There has also been a staggering eight-fold increase in the number of people requiring treatment for ketamine since 2015.
Health Minister Ashley Dalton said: “Young people don’t always realise the decision to take drugs such as ketamine can have profound effects. It can destroy your bladder and even end your life.
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“We’ve seen a worrying rise in people coming to harm from ketamine as well as deliberately contaminated vapes and synthetic opioids hidden in fake medicines bought online.”
An online awareness campaign has been launched including films targeting 16-24 year olds and users of social media, where these dodgy drug products are often advertised.
A major problem is the sale of e-cigarettes touted as containing THC. This is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that causes a “high” and is also responsible for some of its medical and recreational uses.
However dodgy online drug dealers are often using the cheaper synthetic cannabinoid Spice. It follows reports last year that several unsuspecting school pupils had been hospitalised and one left in a coma after taking Spice in vapes.
Spice is also known as K2, “fake weed”, or “Black Mamba”. It is typically sold as a liquid to be used in vapes or as dried plant material onto which the chemical is sprayed to be smoked.
It is a lab-made drug originally designed to mimic the effects of cannabis. Its use has taken off among some communities and the powdered chemical is rife in prisons.
Users can be left unable to move while it can also cause dizziness, breathing difficulties, chest pain, heart palpitations and seizures. In some cases it has been linked to paranoia, suicidal thoughts, psychosis and acute kidney injuries.
Recent research by a number of British universities analysed 1,923 e-cigarettes and e-liquids, collected from 114 schools in England, and found Spice in 13% of samples.
Ketamine poisoning has seen a huge increase as urologists are increasingly concerned about young people presenting with severe bladder problems from recreational use.
Experts fear controlled clinical trials currently investigating possible medical benefits of quality-controlled ketamine are giving young people the false impression that recreational use of the drug purchased on the black market is safe.
The awareness campaign will also highlight the dangers of counterfeit medicines containing deadly synthetic opioids purchased online. It comes alongside an extra £310 million in Government funding for drug treatment services.
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Katy Porter, chief executive of drug-checking charity The Loop, said: “We welcome the further investment in evidence-based approaches and support to reduce drug-related harm.
“Providing accurate, non-judgemental information equips and empowers people to make safer choices and can help reduce preventable harms.”
Health Minister Ashley Dalton added: “Prevention is at the heart of this government’s approach to tackling drugs and this campaign will ensure young people have the facts they need to make informed decisions about their health and safety, so they think twice about putting themselves in danger.”
