Concerns raised over dangers of vaping oils

The concerned father ‘Sean’, has reported that his 16-year-old daughter was hospitalised last week, having taken multiple seizures as a result of inhaling the vapours produced by these oils, which can be easily accessed by people of all ages throughout the city.
As well as his daughter being hospitalised, he said his niece also became severely unwell last week, shortly after taking just four puffs from a friend's vape.
The girl, also aged 16, initially took multiple seizures in the city centre and clinically died, before being resuscitated.
She is currently in an induced coma and receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit in Altnagelvin Hospital, having come off a life-support machine on Monday.
Sean added: “I just wanted to spread awareness about what’s going on in Derry with these vapes, they’re going around all the schools. We’re going to end up with children dying because of this.
“I don’t know where they got them, but I do know that children are selling them to other children, and it’s not just a wee problem, it’s a very big problem. This has happened a couple of times to my daughter. Over Christmas she collapsed in the house, she was disorientated, she was biting people, and was very confused.
“It’s just like a clear liquid, the same as other vape oils you would buy, you couldn’t really tell the difference between them, there isn’t even a different smell off them.
“It is crazy. I am just so worried about it. Everybody needs to know what’s going on.”
A secondary school in Derry was contacted for comment after reports that these vape oils have been sold among children attending, but Derry News did not receive any response from the school.
A communications officer from PSNI stated: “Cannabis is a Class B controlled drug, possession of which is a criminal offence.
“Medical cannabis, which can be used to treat health conditions such as epilepsy, chronic pain and so on, can however be obtained by those with a valid prescription. Medical cannabis may be vaped or taken orally in the form of drops only by those patients with a prescription.
“Without a prescription, anyone vaping cannabis oil containing the compound THC, is committing an offence. Oils containing CBD only, and not THC, are currently legal.”