169 young people sought treatment for HHC drug in last 18 months

RTÉ News​

a day ago

Since the beginning of last year, 169 young people have sought treatment for problems with Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a drug contained in some vapes and edibles, figures from the Health Research Board show.
The substance is available for sale in vape shops across the country.
The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland has reiterated its call for the drug to be banned because of problems with addiction and serious mental health issues.
John, 18, who does not want to be identified, became addicted to and had serious mental health effects from vapes containing HHC.
The man-made drug produces similar effects to a natural ingredient in cannabis, known as THC, which causes the drugs "high".
John said: "I heard voices screaming in my head, it was absolutely terrifying. I thought it would never go away.
"I had really bad psychosis, I had three or four schizophrenic episodes from it, I was really lazy, the vape was always in my hand and it was so easy to get because the shop would just give it to us."
Joe, who also does not want to be identified, said his life has never been the same, after he began inhaling HHC from a vape that he bought in a local shop.
"I was smoking weed a lot, and when I seen this HHC, it was just an easy access, you know.
"It was just in the shops, obviously you could bring it places and take it whenever you want, but as I was using it for a few weeks, it just kind of turns your world upside down.
"Psychosis, overthinking, just insane thinking, you're just not the same person. You're like a zombie, your face is droopy, your eyes are a few centimetres lower than they should be, you just look ... you look bad."
Figures from the Health Research Board show that 169, mostly young people, sought treatment for problems with HHC over the past year and a half.
Head of Clinical Services at Aiséirí Addiction Treatment Centre in Kilkenny Sara Cassidy said there has been a sharp rise in the number of people attending the service who are addicted to the drug.
"They have had horrendous psychosis experiences, symptoms that are similar to schizophrenia and the biggest concern is that for some of these young people, with their developing brains, is that the symptoms don't necessary dissipate once the chemical is stopped and it's quite treatment resistant," she said.
Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Professor Bobby Smyth has been calling on the Government to ban HHC for the last year.
He said: "We began seeing some of the young people attending the service reporting the use of HHC in a problematic way about two years ago.
"Three years ago, it did not exist as a concern."
"I suppose we are a bit confused about why its taken so long to ban it," Prof Smyth said.
"I believe it will be banned," he added.
He said that perhaps the "biggest question is how as this allowed to happen in the first place, what can we learn from this because the entrepreneurs, who have been making money selling HHC to the youth of Ireland over the last few years, will just find another drug if we are going to continue to permit them to do so".
The Department of Health said HHC contained in some vapes and in edibles like gummies will shortly be added to the misuse of drugs regulations.
This means it will be illegal to sell or supply it.
However, for people like Joe and John, this cannot come soon enough.
Joe says he is feeling better now but still suffers some of the effects daily.
Joe said: "I am feeling good now, but I am feeling lucky as well, like there is people here who just aren't the same as me who aren't as lucky.
"Also, I got off them before I came in here, that probably saved me. I would say if I kept smoking them for a few weeks longer my brain would be a lot more deteriorated.
John said he wants to see them taken out of shops so no other person has to go through what he did.
"It will change your life and not for the better, because the first time you pick it up it's all fun and games, but the more you pick it up, the more you smoke it, you start to see what I saw and feel what I felt and some people might not get it as easy as me and some people might not get out of the hole I was in as easy."