Worrying reports of youths using vapes to ingest ‘Spice’ type substances in Derry highlighted

The troubling incidents were brought to light during the February meeting of Derry City & Strabane District Council’s Health & Community Committee.

Several Councillors spoke of worrying reports circulating on social media before one Councillor confirmed that they were aware of incidents in the city.

They were speaking as members were given an update on the Northern Ireland Audit Office’s recently published Report on Tackling the Public Health Impacts of Smoking and Vaping.

In that report, the Auditor General concluded that the health service has made significant progress in reducing smoking prevalence amo ng the local population, but that levels remain concerningly high among some of the most vulnerable groups, while the number of people vaping has also grown.

The report notes that an estimated 320,000 people aged 16 and over currently smoke in Northern Ireland, representing 14% of the total population; this compares with 24% of the population in 2010-11. However, challenges remain and the report notes that smoking prevalence is significantly higher among the most deprived areas (24%) compared to the least deprived (7%).

The government is proposing to bring forward legislation making it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. In effect, the law will stop children turning 14 or younger this year from ever legally being sold tobacco products - raising the smoking age by a year each year until it applies to the whole population.

The report also observes that the rapid emergence of vaping has presented new challenges. Vaping levels among adults have almost

doubled from 5% of the population to 9% between 2014-15 and 2022-23. In addition, the most recent Department of Health survey suggests that 9% of local 11-16 year olds here are vaping. 24% of Year 12 children currently vape.

The report also considers the enforcement of tobacco control legislation by local councils on behalf of the PHA, including ‘spot checks’ at retailers and businesses, to identify if tobacco or vaping products are being sold to children. In addition, the report highlights that local businesses stocking vapes do not currently have to register with councils, even though a requirement for tobacco retailers to register has been in place since April 2016.

Sinn Féin Councillor Caitlin Deeney said vaping was a “massive problem” and that “to see 24% of Year 12s vaping is shocking”.

Colr. Deeney said a lot of great work was being undertaken by Belfast City Council including inspections and asked whether the Council here had been able to liaise with them and how often inspections happened here.

Council Head of Health & Community Wellbeing, Seamus Donaghy said that liaison work was ongoing with a meeting to take place this week, while inspections were also taking place.

He also confirmed retailers who sell vaping products do not have to register at present.

Independent Councillor Gary Donnelly said there was increasing ‘alarm regarding the number of young people who are vaping’.

He said there were have been a number of reports on social media of young people being taken ill and collapsing by using vapes containing unknown substances. He cautioned that reports on social media can be inaccurate or sensationalised, and asked whether the Council officers had been aware of these reports or had any data on such reported instances.

Mr Donaghy said they had no such reports but that the Council would follow up with statutory health partners.

“I think it’s important that if there is information on that type of activity that we know as elected representatives, and not only us but parents and guardians and teachers if there is a trend,” Colr. Donnelly said. “We don’t want to be alarmist here, that is not what I am doing but there have been a number of reports on social media and if we could get an accurate picture of whether it is happening or its not.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Aisling Hutton said there have been a few instances over the past few weeks locally “which were very, very scary” for the families involved and community workers.

"These rechargeable vapes which the young people are using, they are not putting nicotine into them, it’s substances such as ‘Spice’ which young people are taking a really bad reaction to.

"I am a member of a Task & Finish Group throughout the north that is dealing with behaviours in young people and vaping- what is making them vape? Is it peer pressure? Where are they getting the money to vape? There is a whole array of investigations we are looking into, but just to highlight what you were saying there Gary, those concerns are there with parents, teachers, young people and we are developing a landing page on the PHA (Public Health Agency) website that is going to be a support document for teachers, parents, grandparents, young people that are considering vaping. There is also going to be resources produced.”

Colr. Hutton said the Task & Finish group was working with community health teams in Scotland and have designed material in and around what they were doing.

"What we are doing is prevention. By putting enforcement into the policy around who can sell vapes, that is us protecting our young people.”

Chair of the committee, SDLP Councillor Brian Tierney said he too had seen some of the reports on social media referenced by Colr. Donnelly and found them “quite alarming”.

Colr. Tierney said: "I had heard reports of it happening in other cities outside of Derry before Hallowe’en. It wasn’t too long before we are hearing it now in our own city. As Colr. Donnelly is suggesting if we can get those figures and data through the PHA we can do whatever we can to try and address it, whilst also supporting parents through some of the initiatives Colr. Hutton has spoken about.

"I do think regulation and enforcement is the key in trying to tackle this and making sure those who are manufacturing or selling vapes are doing it responsible and legally.”