England is experiencing a wave of a new scourge: “Vape Spiking”
‘Vape spiking’, the practice of secretly adding harmful substances to vaping devices, is causing growing concern, particularly among young people. Recent studies and police reports from several areas of the UK, including the West Midlands, reveal that this trend is vastly underreported. The true number of incidents could be much higher than official figures show.
Biochemistry expert Professor Chris Pudney has discovered that the presence of Spice, a particularly potent synthetic drug, in vapes is almost endemic in schools across the country. Tests on vaping devices from 25 out of 30 schools found the substance present, leading to serious health problems, such as fainting and suspected cardiac arrests among students.
A booming market for illicit products
As vaping has become more popular among young people, another worrying concern has emerged: the proliferation of illicit and potentially dangerous products. Evapo strongly supports the introduction of a licensing system to better control the sale of vaping products. This licensing system would help regulate sales, including by prohibiting the sale of these products near schools and by preventing them from being displayed next to sweets. In addition, licensing fees could help fund enforcement efforts and reinforce safe vaping practices.
Evapo CEO Andrej Kuttruf expressed concern about the rise in vape spiking incidents, particularly among young people. He said: “The increase in vape spiking cases among children and adolescents is extremely worrying. It is crucial not only to educate the public on how to identify illicit or counterfeit vapes, but also to enforce tougher penalties against retailers and individuals who sell to minors or distribute dangerous products. Rigorous age control, as well as collaboration between parents, schools and local authorities, is essential to protect young people.”
How to identify a counterfeit vape
To help consumers detect potentially dangerous products, Evapo has provided a series of tips to spot counterfeit or tampered vapes:
- Checking the packaging : Factory sealed packaging is a sign of authenticity. Absence of packaging could indicate a counterfeit product.
- Print quality : Watch for misprints, blurry images, or uneven printing.
- Nicotine warning : Make sure the product has a nicotine warning.
- High nicotine level : The legal limit for nicotine concentration in the UK is 20mg/ml. Anything higher than this could indicate a counterfeit product.
- Retailer Reputation : Buy only from reputable retailers.
- Price gap : Extremely low prices could indicate a counterfeit product.
- Authenticity sticker : Check for a sticker to verify the authenticity of the product.
- Build quality : Authentic vapes are well built and well thought out down to the smallest details.
- Economical performance : Malfunction may indicate a counterfeit product.
It’s important to remember that vaping remains a crucial tool for many people looking to quit smoking. Ensuring that vaping devices are authentic and safe is critical to supporting these efforts. Evapo has implemented a rigorous “mystery shopping” system in its stores to verify compliance with safety and age-verification standards. In addition, the company is advocating for tougher penalties for retailers who sell unsafe products or break laws by selling to minors.
