A BBC investigation has exposed dealers using Snapchat to sell vape liquids laced with the synthetic drug spice to teenagers, causing severe addiction and health crises, with parents fearing for their children’s lives. The ease of access and the potent effects of spice have led to harrowing withdrawal symptoms and urgent calls for action.
The investigation began after concerns from mothers in Warwickshire whose teenage daughters, as young as 13, became addicted to vapes they believed contained THC. An undercover reporter posed as a schoolgirl and easily purchased four bottles from a dealer on Snapchat for £50, with the transaction feeling as simple as ordering a pizza. The dealer offered same-day delivery across Birmingham and Warwickshire, highlighting the blatant and accessible nature of these illegal sales.
Teenagers involved, such as Ella and Sophie (pseudonyms), started vaping illicit substances purchased through Snapchat ads, initially unaware they were consuming spice. They quickly developed dependencies, leading to erratic behavior, missing school, and instances where they went missing overnight, causing extreme distress for their families. Both girls described how the addiction took over their lives, with one mother recounting how her daughter would collapse at home after vaping.
Withdrawal symptoms were described as feeling like “dying,” with symptoms including nausea, shaking, heart palpitations, and inability to eat. One mother, Dawn, detailed a week of violent illness during her daughter’s withdrawal, which ultimately served as a deterrent. Another mother, Sarah, expressed fear of finding her daughter dead in bed, emphasizing the life-threatening risks associated with spice addiction.
Independent testing by Wedinos, the UK’s drug-checking service, confirmed that the vape liquids contained spice, a synthetic cannabinoid far more potent than cannabis. Professor Rick Lines noted that 40% of vape samples tested last year contained spice, raising alarms about the unintended consumption of highly toxic substances by young people.
Snapchat responded by stating that drug sales violate their rules, and they removed over 2.4 million drug-related posts and disabled 516,000 accounts in 2024. However, the persistence of such sales on social media platforms underscores challenges in enforcement. Warwickshire Police confirmed they are investigating and working with partners to address the issue.
Research from the University of Bath found that in some English schools, up to 27% of confiscated vapes contained spice, with the drug often marketed as THC on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Professor Chris Pudney called for stricter adherence to the Online Safety Act to protect children, as these platforms are failing in their duty to prevent illegal sales.
The incident highlights a critical public health threat, necessitating increased awareness, robust law enforcement, and enhanced safety measures on social media to safeguard teenagers from the dangers of spice-laced vapes.