How social media is fuelling a drug crisis in UK schools

By Dr Rachael Andrews

When teachers confiscate a vape from a student, they often assume it contains nicotine or perhaps even cannabis. What many don’t realise, is that some of these vapes contain Spice, a dangerous synthetic drug that young people often mistake for cannabis.

As a scientist working at the University of Bath, I have been analysing vapes seized from English schools. Over the past two years, our team has found alarming levels of Spice in vapes that young people often believe to be cannabis (THC) vapes. The reality is that these products are far riskier than many parents and teachers realise. Worryingly, one of the main ways these products are reaching teens is through social media.

What we found

We analysed almost 2000 vapes and e-liquids from 114 secondary schools across England during the 2024–25 academic year:

• 13% of all samples contained Spice, with some regions reporting as high as 27%.
  

• Spice was overwhelmingly present in refillable vapes (21%) and in unlabelled bottles (96%).
  

• Disposable vapes (now banned through new legislation) rarely contained Spice (1%).
  

• To our surprise, a handful of samples also contained other drugs, including ketamine and MDMA.

These results highlight two major issues. Firstly, young people are being mis-sold substances they did not intend to use. Additionally, banning disposable vapes is unlikely to tackle this problem, since the issue is predominantly found in refillable vapes and unlabelled liquids.

Is Spice more dangerous than cannabis?

Spice is often sold as an alternative to cannabis, but its effects are far more unpredictable and harmful. While THC (the active compound in cannabis) is a partial agonist of the brain’s cannabinoid receptors, Spice is a full agonist. That means it can overstimulate these receptors, leading to:

• Extreme agitation and aggression

• Psychosis and hallucinations

• Seizures

• Long-term addiction and withdrawal symptoms
  

The most concerning part is that young people using these vapes often believe they’re just using cannabis which they perceive as familiar or low risk. In reality, they’re exposed to something far more dangerous.

The Online Marketplace

Alongside lab analysis, we also examined social media platforms. We searched Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for sellers advertising THC vapes. What we found was a thriving marketplace for Spice, mis-sold as cannabis:

• On TikTok, 67.5% of accounts selling “THC vapes” were actually selling Spice.

• On Instagram, the figure was 54%.

• On Facebook, it was 12%
  

Essentially, the younger the target audience, the higher the risk of encountering Spice sold as THC.

Despite the Online Safety Act, which makes it illegal to advertise or sell controlled substances, many of these accounts are still active months later. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become marketplaces for illegal substances targeting children. Their algorithms prioritise engagement over safety, and enforcement under the Online Safety Act remains weak. Platforms capable of using AI to create targeted ads should also be able to use it to stop illegal drug sales.

What Needs to Happen?

Although there is no one solution, there are multiple ways to reduce this growing concern.

Social media platforms must use AI and moderators to proactively detect and remove drug-selling accounts. Additionally, they should properly enforce age limits as well as ban keywords linked to illegal vape sales.

Ofcom and policymakers should use the Online Safety Act to issue public penalties for non-compliance. Additional regulations should target refillable and unlabelled vape liquids which is the main source of Spice.

Increased awareness around this issue will allow school staff and parents to understand that a “THC vape” can contain far more dangerous substances.

Teachers are on the frontline of this issue, and it is essential they have the right support. We’ve been lucky enough to work with the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, and they’ve developed a practical resource to help school staff identify Spice and THC vapes, and recognise the signs of use.

Final thoughts

As a researcher, I often spend my days looking at samples, spectra, and data. But behind each percentage, is a teacher wondering how to handle a situation. Behind every sample tested, is a teenager who’s put their trust in an online dealer. And behind every social media post selling Spice, is a platform that could and should have stopped it.