The Government’s failure to ban hexahydrocannabinol has “damaged” children, one of the country’s leading addiction specialists has said.
Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is a ‘cannabinoid’ product that emerged in Europe three-years ago.
It is legal to buy in Ireland but last year, then Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the drug was “currently being monitored by the HSE and the EU Drug Agency”.
On The Hard Shoulder, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Bobby Smyth said he is extremely concerned about its impact on the health of teenage users.
“It has been used by a growing minority of young people who seem to buy it with impunity,” he said.
“That there’s zero regulations or rules around its content, who can sell it, who can buy it.
“It’s completely unregulated.”
Dr Smyth said he and his colleagues have been concerned about HHC for well over a year.
“My main job is in adolescent addiction service,” he said.
“HHC just began featuring as a component part of lots of presentations within our service back in 2023.
“At this stage, it’s probably on the list of problem substances for about 20, 25% of people attending the service - and that’s the same nationally.
“It’s been that way pretty much, I guess, for the last year or so.”
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When asked why the State has not banned the drug, Dr Smyth said he did not “have a good answer to that”.
“It could simply be added to the Misuse of Drugs Act - which bans most other illegal drugs,” he said.
“Lots of European countries have already taken that step.
“The other legislation we have in Ireland is called the Psychoactive Substances Act; it’s actually a criminal offence to sell a psychoactive drug - whether or not it’s listed in that act.
“Given that this drug has been advertised by its sellers as having similar effects to THC - which is the active drug in cannabis - they’re advertising it as having psychoactive effects, why that legislation wasn’t used, I’m not really sure.
“This is sold in high street stores.”
Dr Smyth said he found the Government’s response “frustrating” given the harm the drug is doing to so many young people.
“I thought we had a reactive and responsive system already in Ireland,” he said.
“But it hasn’t worked on this occasion and young people’s lives have been damaged.
“It’s now the second most common cause of drug induced psychosis in Ireland and has been for the last year or so.”
If you need confidential advice about drug or alcohol addiction, you can call the HSE's free helpline on 1800 459 459.
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Main image: A doctor talks with a young patient. Picture by: Alamy.com
