'We know very little about its long-term effects': HHC ‘big problem’ for health services

The number of people presenting at hospitals, addiction services, and mental health services with the ill effects of psychoactive substances contained in legally-available HHC vapes has increased significantly, the head of drugs and alcohol services for the HSE in the South West has confirmed.

David Lane spoke to The Echo after it was disclosed that a 12-year-old boy ended up in hospital having vaped HHC, which was obtained legally by an older teenager. This was raised at Monday’s Cork County Council meeting by Social Democrats councillor Isobel Towse, who called for HHC to be banned.

Mr Lane said: “This is the big problem we face in addiction services, in acute hospitals, in psychiatric services.

“It’s not a new phenomenon — new psychoactive substances which are basically man-made synthetic drugs have been causing significant issues in this country and in many parts of the world for a number of years.”

He said the issues with HHC included its potency, which was unknown, and long-term effects it might have on the health of young people. It is also difficult to regulate as compounds can be changed, which means that new legislation must be brought in to restrict the use of the ‘new substance’.

Mr Lane said it reminded him of the issues that had arisen more than 10 years ago when products marked “not for human consumption” were being purchased by people keen to experiment with drugs. This led to a campaign to ban ‘head shops’, which sold the products.

“This is an ongoing struggle that we’re having and this case that was highlighted — it is part of the problem we face in Ireland, and in many other parts of the world, in terms of synthetic drugs.”

Sinn Féin senator Nicole Ryan, founder of Alex’s Adventure, a counselling service relating to drugs, said the fact that HHC is legally available in vape shops is contributing to the perception it is safe.

“In reality, we know very little about its long-term effects,” she said.

“One of the biggest concerns is that the HHC being sold on the market could contain unknown compounds, including substances like spice, a synthetic cannabinoid with often unpredictable and dangerous effects,” said Ms Ryan.

A Department of Health spokesperson said that current law prohibits the selling of a psychoactive substance when the seller knows its for human consumption, but said work was under way to add HHC to Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. “It is expected that this will be completed shortly,” they said.