From the Liberal Democrat MP for Bath Wera Hobhouse: Bath MP meets with Education Minister to tackle alarming trend of Spice-spiked vapes in schools
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, met with Stephen Morgan, Minister for Early Education, today (16th December) to discuss the emerging trend of children smoking Spice-spiked vapes in schools.
The Bath MP met Minister Morgan after writing to the Education Secretary in October to urge her to launch an awareness campaign in schools to educate children, teachers and parents about the dangers of smoking Spice.
This comes after research by University of Bath professor, Chris Pudney, revealed that 1 in 6 (16.6%) confiscated vapes from 38 schools across England contained Spice. Spice is a synthetic drug primarily found in prisons which can be highly addictive and cause a range of dangerous side effects, including cardiac arrest and collapse.
During the meeting, Mrs Hobhouse urged Minister Morgan to commit to rolling out an education awareness programme in schools across the country to inform children, teachers and parents about the harmful effects of Spice. Many children are thought to be unknowingly smoking Spice after believing that they have purchased a cannabis refill for their vape. The Bath MP says an education awareness campaign will be vital for preventing children from getting hold of the drug in the first place by educating them on what to look out for when purchasing vape refills.
This meeting builds on Wera Hobhouse’s campaign to tackle the disturbing trend of children smoking Spice following her adjournment debate in October in which she grilled the Minister for Policing, Dame Diana Johnson, on the issue. She also urged the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to include measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to prevent children smoking Spice-spiked vapes.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, said:
“It’s appalling that children are able to get hold of such an addictive and dangerous drug so easily. What’s even more alarming is that many are doing so completely unknowingly.
“We urgently need to launch an education programme in schools across the country. Not only is this vital for making children more aware of the dangers of smoking Spice, but also for informing parents and teachers of the signs to look out for and how to prevent children from smoking Spice in the first place.
“I hope Minister Morgan heeds my warnings about this terrifying trend and that we can begin working together to protect a generation of young people against lifelong addiction and serious harm.”