I’m a school principal – spiked vapes gave two of my students a ‘heart attack’

Instead of the bell announcing the end of the holidays, pupils at St Ambrose Barlow RC High School in Manchester heard shouting across the schoolyard.

Two young boys sneaked a puff on an e-cigarette before heading back to school, but suddenly collapsed to the ground.

It was immediately clear to teachers that this was not a case of children messing around. Shock and fear were written all over the faces of the students nearby.

Quick action saw emergency services arrive on the scene within minutes to treat the two sick 14-year-old boys before taking them to hospital.

The teens thought they were using regular vapes, but the liquid had been laced with a drug. The spiking resulted in what principal Ben Davis described to i like a ‘heart attack’ for these two ninth graders.

Many vapes used by young people have childish flavours such as blue raspberry or bubble gum on their colourful packaging and are hugely popular with children across the country

The incident that occurred last fall is nearly identical to one that occurred with i by Neil Coe, the headteacher of Westhoughton High School in Bolton. His school has experienced two incidents where children have become seriously ill after inhaling vapes, with some children’s heart rates rising to over 150 beats per minute. In both cases, the spiked vape had been given to them and the young people did not know what was in it.

In February, five teenagers were rushed to hospital after allegedly using a vape spiked with the illegal drug Spice at a school in Eltham, while a child in Teesside required treatment for an opioid overdose after using a “potentially lethal” vape spiked with the drug Spice.

It’s a scenario that’s playing out across the country as i reveals new data on spiking rates among children and teens. Incidents involving e-cigarettes are expected to reach record highs this year.

Many schools are afraid to tackle the problem head on, but Mr. Davis shares today with i the reality of how schools must address vaping to prevent more kids from getting sick.

Although vape pens are not allowed in schools, Mr Davis is pragmatic and says that children will always find a way to rebel. However, the issue of vaping behind the bike shed has become more serious and he passionately believes that parents, as well as teachers, need to be aware of the problem.

“It’s very easy for parents to assume their child won’t do this, but the child doesn’t know what they’re inhaling and their friends don’t always know what they’re inhaling. There’s one going around and everyone thinks it’s just a vape, but in fact there’s something in it,” said Mr Davis, whose school has seen about a dozen incidents of vape spiking.

Mr. Davis is concerned about the lack of education and awareness about e-cigarette smoking among students and parents, and he warned parents in a letter he sent before the start of the summer semester.

He offered tips on how to spot vapes that may be sedated and expressed concern that young people “may be tempted to experiment with vapes alone or in places where they cannot get help quickly,” as opposed to at school, where teachers are present.

He added: “(Spiked vapes) are very common and easily available to young people, which often means they are getting them from an older person involved in criminal activity and many are trying to ‘manipulate’ your child.”

Mr Davis believes that many of the children who will be harmed by smoking e-cigarettes come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, partly because they are more likely to live in neighbourhoods where gangs are active and sell drugs.

Some believe that many vape spiking events are pranks gone wrong, but Mr. Davis refutes this. “I can’t think of a single case that I would describe as a prank,” he said.

Tackling vaping among students is difficult, teachers say i of students bringing e-cigarettes to school disguised as highlighters, and some schools place a staff member outside student bathrooms at all times to disrupt surreptitious e-cigarette use.

Mr. Davis does not believe this is the right approach for his school.

“We’re not going down the road of permanently supervised toilets. We’re trying to keep the scale of the problem in proportion and I don’t look at our school and think that the majority of children are doing this.

“Our evidence suggests that it is a minority of children who are at risk from e-cigarette drugs.

“The problem is not the number of children, but the level of risk and harm it can pose to the child.”

Instead, Mr. Davis’ school takes a nonpunitive approach to drug use, doing everything it can to prevent students who become involved with drugs from being suspended or expelled.

“We try to treat it as a disease, an addiction, and something that needs to be treated. It’s a matter of well-being, and to be honest, in most cases it’s a matter of poverty and home situation. It’s been quite effective, although it hasn’t been without its risks and it hasn’t been without its challenges.

“The alternative is to say they can’t go to school at all, and that puts them at greater risk.”