April 11, 2024
Experts have raised warning over cannabis vapes, saying people using them risk inhaling a powerful animal tranquilliser called xylazine that can cause skin ulcers and overdoses.
Research from King’s College London has found that xylazine’s presence has been steadily growing in the UK, causing multiple deaths since 2022, when the first fatality was identified.
In the UK, xylazine has been found in in vapes containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, as well as in counterfeit prescription drugs such as codeine, alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium) tablets.
People buying cannabis vapes can unknowingly consume this powerful animal tranquilliser that can cause skin ulcers and overdoses. The sedative, designed to put big animals such as cows and horses to sleep, can be lethal for humans.
It is “alarming” to find it in “even a few” illicit e-cigarettes that many think are pretty harmless, experts say.
The findings, published in the Addiction journal, drew on evidence from all toxicology laboratories in the UK. The drug was found in 16 people, 11 of whom died. In nine of the 11 confirmed deaths, xylazine was found in combination with a strong opioid. The lack of this combination in the other two cases suggests xylazine was potentially consumed in an illicit sedative or vape.
Dr Caroline Copeland, senior author of the study, said: “This is cause for alarm as a much wider population of people who use drugs beyond heroin users will be exposed to its harms.
“We also know that most people who buy heroin will not intend to buy xylazine and this combination increases the risk of overdose. Xylazine was designated an ‘emerging threat’ to the United States and this public health threat is a growing concern for the UK.”
Dr Copeland told BBC News: “People may not realise what they are actually buying. They think they are getting a THC vape – but it could contain much more than they expect. It’s really alarming.”
King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience addictions head Prof Sir John Strang, who was not involved in the study, says, “We need to be constantly alert to changes in the nature of the illicit drug market, especially as these changes sometimes bring new health complications or challenges.”
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis. THC vapes are illegal in the UK. Cannabidiol (CBD) is also a component of the cannabis plant but does not give a high. CBD oil, including in vapes, is legal to sell in the UK.
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