Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan: I thank the Minister of State for taking this Topical Issue. This is an incredibly important issue. It is about HHC and HHC vapes in particular, their prevalence in Ireland, the damage they are causing, the harm they are doing to individuals, especially young people, and the damage they are causing to relationships and particularly families right across Ireland. It is a scourge on our nation and we really need to nip it in the bud.

It is important to outline HHC is a semi-synthetic form of cannabis which is available in these vapes, but there is a big difference between it and cannabis because we know the impacts of cannabis. We know the effects it has on people. Some people describe a relaxed feeling when they have cannabis and that they feel chilled. Some people feel a high. However, we also know there is a psychosis associated with cannabis and a certain percentage of people who take cannabis. That is well-known, well-researched and well-advertised. It is something we know a lot about and therefore people are quite aware of the risks if they go down that route. HHC is like a silent assassin. The impacts it has on people's mental health are not yet widely known. The psychosis element and the connection with psychotic episodes is still not widely known.

I again stress it is young people in particular who are taking these products through vapes, which are widely available, and it is causing havoc. It is perceived as harmless, but though in dosage terms it is maybe half as powerful or whatever as cannabis, because it is in a vape form and people tend to take regular doses over the course of a day, they are getting a bigger load of this HHC and, therefore, it is having a bigger impact. I will give a perfect example of what I mean by that. In a recent Irish study there is pretty concrete evidence of the link between psychotic episodes and taking HHC. In one instance, one of the individuals taking it was a habitual cannabis user and had never had a psychotic episode when taking cannabis. He switched to HHC vapes and after that the psychosis began, the visions began and he began to experience psychotic episodes. The theory behind that is because it was so much more available he was taking it at a much higher dose. This is happening throughout Ireland as people are seeing this as quite a harmless drug, while the impacts are far greater. This stuff creeps up on people and on kids in particular.

These vapes are being sold to kids under 18. They should not be, but it is happening and that is possibly a different issue. Kids are still getting their hands on these because they are widely available in shops and not just vape shops, but shops of all different types. It is causing kids to be withdrawn and to be withdrawn from their families and their friends. They take it because they think they are going to be chilled and it will maybe take the edge off, but it is causing massive problems within their friendship circles and their lives. It is causing anxiety and depression. This is not just being flagged by me but by addiction treatment centres because they are seeing this train coming down the line at speed and we are not ready to deal with it. It is being flagged by CAMHS. It is being flagged by those who are dealing with adolescents and young people with mental health issues. This is coming fast. We need to regulate and bring it under the control of drugs Act. We need to move fast. It has already been flagged as a problem drug by the HSE, but it is too available. We need to stamp it out and ensure it does not do any further damage.

Deputy Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy for his question, which is on a very important issue. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Health.

I will open with an explanation of what HHC is and its current legal position. Tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC, is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. It is a Schedule 1 controlled drug in the Misuse of Drugs Regulations and is subject to the strictest of controls. Hexahydrocannabinol, HHC, is a derivative of tetrahydrocannabinol, but it not a Schedule-controlled drug. It is a naturally-occurring cannabinoid that has rarely been identified as a trace component in cannabis sativa, but can also be produced synthetically by hydrogenation of cannabis extracts. HHC was first identified in Europe in May 2022, which is not that long ago, and was put under intensive monitoring at the end of 2022 by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, EMCDDA. It is the first semi-synthetic cannabinoid reported in the EU and has been monitored as a new psychoactive substance by the EU early warning system since October 2022.

Early warning in Ireland is co-ordinated by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, EMCDDA, national focal point and the early warning and emerging trends working group chaired by the Department of Health. EWET continues to monitor the emergence and use of this substance in Ireland, which I hope will reassure the Deputy somewhat. HHC has been reported as a drug of concern by the HSE and, as the Deputy mentioned, adolescent service providers. HHC can be contained in vaping products, as he mentioned. There is growing concern about the potential impact of using this substance on young people's mental health, including, as he also mentioned, the possible link with psychosis. Young people report adverse effects such as loss of consciousness after use, and the Deputy mentioned the possible link between that and psychotic episodes.

The HSE will add content about HHC to its website drugs.ie. Evidence as regards harms associated with HHC will be carefully monitored and appropriate responses will be considered. The HSE will continue to liaise with the EMCDDA and the early warning and emerging trends group for further direction on this substance. This is an area currently being monitored by the HSE and the EU drug agency as there is limited information on the health impact of this substance to date.

With regard to synthetic cannabinoids, the HSE has comprehensive harm reduction information about the substances available on its website drugs.ie. The HSE also issued an alert regarding cannabis edibles contaminated with synthetic cannabinoids earlier this year.

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan: I appreciate the response. The unfortunate thing is that it is almost a carbon copy of responses I have already received from the office of the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, when I flagged this previously. There are some encouraging elements in the response in that there is clearly an awareness of this substance. There is awareness of the impacts it has on young people and of the psychosis that is linked to it. What I am concerned about, however, is that the same language has been used for the past number of months, in that the issue is being monitored. What I am hearing from parents, however, is that this substance is having an impact on their children now and is changing their children's personality. Vibrant, intelligent, enthusiastic young people are becoming withdrawn, disinterested, depressed and anxious. This is happening now, so we have to go past the monitoring phase. The time now is for action.

More concerningly, as I said in my opening statement, big red flags are being waved by the likes of the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and drug addiction centres. They are seeing these kids come in in bigger numbers every week.

I do not mean to shoot the messenger. The Minister of State is here reading an answer on behalf of the Minister for Health, and I appreciate that the issue is being monitored, but now is the time for action. This substance needs to be brought under the control of drugs Act. We need to stamp this out. Vapes are a scourge as it is, environmentally and in terms of their accessibility. These are so accessible. They are in every shop and are being sold to kids like sweets. It needs to stop, especially these HHC products, which are clearly causing havoc to kids' mental health. I would love the Minister of State to bring the message back to the Minister that we need to take this more seriously.

Deputy Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy for outlining that. I can see he is concerned about this.

Hexahydrocannabinol is not currently a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations. As the Deputy said, it is being monitored closely at international level by the European Union drugs agency, which I understand is the initial step in placing a substance under drug control measures. It is important to point out that the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 is an Act to prevent the misuse of dangerous or otherwise harmful psychoactive substances and to provide for offences relating to the sale, importation, exportation or advertisement of those substances. There are protections in place, and anybody who sells a HHC vape, which one would assume is for human consumption, is guilty of an offence under the 2010 Act.

I hear what the Deputy says, however, acknowledging the fact that there is awareness. He just wants to see further progress on this. I would imagine, given that it is being closely monitored, that there will be progression after that. I hear what he says about the drug addiction centres and CAMHS and some of the symptoms or the outcomes that people, particularly young people, have when they inhale this vape, and I will bring his concerns to the attention of the Minister.