Five Children Fall Ill After Using Vaping Devices at a Scottish School

Five children at a school in Scotland fell ill after using vaping devices to inhale an unknown substance. After one student was sent to the hospital, parents expressed concerns for their children's safety.

These parents, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Record that the vaping devices reportedly contained cannabis and another substance known as Spice.

Police launched an investigation after students at Graeme High School in Falkirk felt unwell during the lunch break on Monday. One 13-year-old boy was taken to Forth Valley Royal Hospital for treatment. He has since been discharged.
A concerned mother said: “The children were using ‘cannabis pens’. They felt unwell and were taken to the hospital. I was told one of them fainted, but they are fine now. The school needs to manage the children more strictly.”

Another parent said: “I heard the children thought they were buying cannabis, but they were actually sold Spice.”
A third parent added: “The children felt unwell after using cannabis vaping devices during lunch.”

Street drug Spice, also known as zombie Spice, is a synthetic cannabis made from chemicals that can cause hallucinations and severe psychotic episodes.
It mimics cannabis, putting users in a zombie-like state and can make them aggressive, paranoid, or cause them to collapse and be unable to move.

In May 2016, Spice was banned in the UK as one of the so-called legal high drugs. Since then, it has caused chaos in Scottish prisons after inmates discovered it would not show up in random drug tests.
There have been calls to classify it as a drug on par with heroin and cocaine, rather than its current Class B status.

Meanwhile, the side effects of cannabis consumption in children include central nervous system depression, confusion, agitation, nausea, and vomiting.
Earlier this year, Scottish lawmakers were informed that it is believed that one in four 15-year-olds in Scotland are using vaping devices.

Dr. Garth Reid, a public health consultant, stated that a survey in 2022 found that 10% of 13-year-olds and 25% of 15-year-olds were using vaping devices. This figure has risen from 1% and 2% respectively in 2015.

The head of Graeme High School stated that the students were using vaping devices that “did not belong to them.” An investigation is currently underway in collaboration with the school and police to determine the specifics of the incident.
A spokesperson for the Scottish police said: “At around 1:05 PM on December 18, 2023, police received a report that five children felt unwell at a school in Falkirk. One 13-year-old boy was taken to Forth Valley Royal Hospital by ambulance as a precaution. He has since been discharged.

“An investigation is currently underway in collaboration with the school and police to understand the specifics of the incident.”
A spokesperson for Falkirk Council said: “We can confirm that students felt unwell after using vaping devices that did not belong to them at school. The young people involved received care and support from staff, and guidance has been issued to parents and students, emphasizing broader information regarding vaping.”