Overview

• Chemical analysis of 1,923 e‑cigarettes and e‑liquids from 114 secondary schools detected synthetic cannabinoids in 13% of samples, rising to about 25% in London and Lancashire.
• Only 1.2% of confiscated vapes contained THC despite many being marketed as cannabis products.
• Researchers identified 120 TikTok and 83 Instagram accounts offering supposed THC vapes, with visual checks indicating nearly 70% on TikTok and over 50% on Instagram were actually selling spice.
• Around 70% of the seller accounts tracked by the team remained accessible as of September 1 despite the issue being flagged to platforms in March.
• Scientists warn spice is cheaper and associated with severe, unpredictable harms in young people, and they note Ofcom can impose significant fines for failures under the Online Safety Act.