Alarm over psychosis-causing drugs sold in vape shops in Dublin

The unregulated market mirrors the head shop crisis of the past and posing a serious risk of drug-induced psychosis among young people

Dublin councillors are sounding the alarm that young people are unknowingly gambling their lives as psychosis-causing synthetic drugs are finding their way into legitimate shops.

The HSE recently issued an early warning that high-risk cannabinoids are being found in vapes and edibles sold not just on the illicit market, but in legitimate vape shops. These substances have been linked to serious physical and mental health harms, including losing consciousness, severe intoxication, withdrawal and cases of psychosis.

With unregulated products being sold under the guise of sleep aids or wellness items, vapes and edibles often marketed as legal CBD oil have been found to have dangerous ingredients not listed.

Of the 76 vapes or ‘vape juices’ tested by the HSE Emerging Drug Trends Laboratory in 2026, 28 contained HHC or related compounds, also known as semi-synthetic cannabinoids. Eight contained potent synthetic cannabinoids. 10 acetate-containing compounds that can be linked to lung disease. 12 contained cannabis or related compounds. 41 contained CBD.

Dublin city councillors have spoken about the effects these products are having on the community, with young people particularly vulnerable and in need of protection and education. Fine Gael Councillor Gayle Ralph said she has seen first-hand through her work with Tiglin “the devastating impact addiction can have, not just on an individual but on entire families”.

View 2 Images Vapes and edibles tested by the HSE Emerging Drug Trends Laboratory (Image: Stephen Holland)

“What also really worries me is how quickly the drug landscape is changing and how difficult it is for parents and young people to know what is actually in some of these products. The idea that dangerous synthetic drugs could be so easily accessible through vape shops is a disgrace,” she told Dublin Live.

Cllr Ralph agrees that enforcement is important, but she stressed the council’s role in preventing young people falling into addiction in the first place. “I brought a motion on cannabis awareness, particularly around educating young people and parents about the risks, and have also been working with RCSI around drug awareness and education for young people. I’ve separately raised the growing issue of nitrous oxide and the need for proper education and awareness around its dangers,” she said.

“One of the things I’ve pushed for is using DCC’s own buildings and community spaces, including our libraries, to get clear, factual information directly to young people and parents. We already have places where young people and families are coming through the doors every day, so we should be using them.

“With new synthetic substances appearing so quickly, education has to keep up. DCC has a role to play locally, alongside the HSE, Gardaí, schools and frontline addiction services, in making sure young people understand what they may actually be taking and the very real risks involved.”

Sinn Féin Cllr Daithí Doolan believes that young people need to be made “fully aware of the consequences” of consuming products like this. While drug testing is available at festivals like Electric Picnic, he’s calling for this to go even further.

“If we are really to promote a comprehensive, health-led approach then the testing of all drugs needs to be mainstreamed,” Cllr Doolan said. He does not think users should be criminalised and that the solution lies in education.

“People need to be fully aware of the consequences. God forbid if something bad happens and someone falls ill - they need to see there’s a consequence to your drug use. Synthetic drugs are particularly complex because of their nature. We’re not too sure what chemicals people are putting in their bodies,” he said.

The dangers of products like this are nothing new, as Cllr Doolan highlighted the head shop phenomenon of the 2000s, where ‘legal highs’ were being sold across Ireland, leading to significant health impacts among users. “I’m old enough to remember the first arrival of synthetic drugs and the new ones that arrived in the early to mid-2000s,” he said.

“People didn’t know what they were using and it had very serious consequences for people’s lives and health. Let’s learn from that, rather than shying away from it, let’s have a discussion: open, transparent and honest.”

Cllr Doolan stressed the importance of ensuring people can test drugs, as this means those choosing to consume vapes, edibles, or any other product can do so with full knowledge of what they are putting in their system. “If the emergency services respond to a call-out, they need to know what they're responding to as well,” he said.

Independent Cllr Gavin Pepper believes that vape shops “should be banned” as they pose a serious risk to young people. He said that children who are underage and should not be able to access vapes often look older and are buying them in shops.

“There’s all these different flavours and they try to make it appealing to children. They should be banned. They definitely shouldn’t be near any schools,” he said. Cllr Pepper believes this issue is not being tackled properly and Dublin City Council has “a major role to play”.

“At the end of the day, DCC is giving out licenses for these shops and that comes with a level of responsibility. They should be leading the way. It’s soul-destroying that this is happening.

“To see kids walking around with these in their hands - they think it is cool. It’s not cool, it’s not good for them in any way, shape or form. The effects will come out in years to come. They don’t contribute anything to society.”

Independent Cllr Cieran Perry too highlighted Dublin City Council’s role in allowing vape shops to operate, but said ultimately it is the HSE and associated agencies who need to put steps in place to address the dangers of synthetic drugs. “I think there’s a very lax attitude to vapes in general. The jury is still out on the damages they can do, even with the legitimate products,” he said.

He said it’s “worrying” that young people are accessing such harmful substances, especially in the midst of a mental health crisis among the population's youth. He said the widespread use and societal acceptance of drugs is worsening the problem.

“Nobody seems to be addressing that. There seems to be some sort of debate about decriminalisation in terms of people's right to do as they please. There doesn't seem to be much focus on the dangers to mental health and to health in general. And the same argument applies to vapes, which are legal, but apparently can contain illegal substances,” he said.

One potential solution involves DCC curbing the spread of vape shops by requiring them to justify their existence. Cllr Perry suggests applying a similar strategy to the one he pushed for in the City Development Plan regarding off-licences.

“You’d have to make a coherent argument that there was a need for another off-licence. Something similar should be done with vape shops,” he said, adding “I can’t think of any societal benefits to vape shops” which are “clearly targeting young people as a business model”.

The normalisation of these products leads to increased use among young people and Cllr Perry said “urgent” action is required. “You'll remember back to the head shops, where eventually there was a strategy put in place to close them down,” he said.

“We need to tackle that, particularly the illegal substances in the vapes. That's an immediate priority. But then information and education about vapes in general should follow.”

HSE Clinical Lead for Addiction Services Professor Eamon Keenan has called for the establishment of a dedicated group of relevant stakeholders to address unregulated synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoid vapes and edibles.

This includes the Department of Health and Department of Justice who are responsible for the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Psychoactive Substances Act. Taking things further, he said the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and Food Safety Authority should play a role related to illegal substances in edibles.

Environmental Health and consumer protection representatives should also be brought on board as they investigate what exactly is being sold and the roles and responsibilities related to available products. Prof Keenan said they need to be “more agile” in this current drug market as “things are changing in Europe at a frightening pace”.

Products “that have never been seen before” are consistently being identified in their lab and through forensic science. “That’s why we need to have legislation that's agile enough to be able to deal with these new psychoactive substances as they appear,” he said.

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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