Children Addicted to HHC Vapes Being Denied CAMHS Support as Synthetic Drug Crisis Deepens
Children suffering from addiction to HHC vapes — a synthetic cannabinoid that was banned in Ireland in July 2025 but continues to circulate on the black market — are being denied access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services support, leaving families without adequate professional help as the HSE warns that the drug is linked to severe mental health outcomes including psychosis and personality changes.
Background
Hexahydrocannabinol, known as HHC, is a semi-synthetic cannabinoid that was widely sold in Irish vape shops and online before its designation as an illegal substance on 29 July 2025. Prior to the ban, HHC was marketed as a legal alternative to cannabis, and its availability in vaping products made it particularly accessible to young people who might not have sought out traditional cannabis. The drug's effects are broadly similar to those of cannabis but can be more intense and unpredictable, particularly in the high-concentration formulations found in some vaping products.
Despite the ban, the HSE's Emerging Drug Trends laboratory has continued to detect HHC in illicit vaping products. In a recent analysis of 76 seized vape products, 28 were found to contain HHC, demonstrating that the drug has moved from the legal market to the black market without disappearing from circulation. Some nicotine and CBD products have also been found to be tampered with, containing additional synthetic or semi-synthetic cannabinoids that pose significant health risks to consumers who may not be aware of what they are inhaling.
The impact on young people has been severe. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and addiction treatment centres have documented significant numbers of young people presenting with HHC-related mental health problems, including the onset of psychotic episodes, anxiety, depression, and personality changes. A study at University Hospital Galway identified HHC as the second most common drug involved in cases of drug-induced psychosis over a 21-month period — a finding that underscores the scale of the problem.
Key Developments
Reports have emerged that children suffering from HHC addiction are being denied access to CAMHS support, with some families told that their child's presentation does not meet the threshold for CAMHS intervention or that the service does not have the capacity to take on additional cases. This is leaving families in a difficult position: their children are experiencing serious mental health problems linked to drug use, but the primary mental health service for young people is not available to them, and addiction services may not be equipped to address the mental health dimension of their difficulties.
The HSE has acknowledged the problem and has indicated that it is working to develop clearer pathways for young people with dual diagnosis — that is, both addiction and mental health problems — to access appropriate support. However, the development of these pathways is taking time, and in the interim, families are being left to navigate a fragmented system without adequate guidance or support.
The HSE has warned that the lack of regulation for vaping products poses a critical threat to consumers, particularly teenagers. Beyond HHC, testing has detected the presence of acetate in 13% of sampled vapes — a substance that, when combined with cannabinoids, is associated with potential lung damage. The agency has emphasised the difficulty of accurately monitoring the full extent of the market, given that current testing relies on samples collected from festivals, hospitals, and addiction services rather than large-scale systematic screening.
Why It Matters
The HHC vaping crisis is a public health emergency that has developed rapidly and that the health system has been slow to respond to. The combination of a new and poorly understood drug, a young and vulnerable population, and a fragmented service response has created a situation in which children are falling through the gaps between addiction services and mental health services. The denial of CAMHS support to children with HHC-related mental health problems is particularly concerning because early intervention in adolescent mental health is critical to long-term outcomes. Children who do not receive appropriate support at the point of crisis are at significantly higher risk of developing chronic mental health problems that will require more intensive and costly intervention in adulthood. The HSE's response to the crisis has been hampered by the chronic underfunding of CAMHS, which has been the subject of sustained criticism from the Mental Health Commission and from advocacy groups for several years.
Local Impact
The impact of the HHC vaping crisis is being felt in communities across Ireland, but is particularly acute in areas with higher rates of youth unemployment and social disadvantage, where young people may be more vulnerable to drug use and where family support networks may be under greater strain. In Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Galway, addiction services have reported significant increases in the number of young people presenting with HHC-related problems, and several services have indicated that they are operating at or beyond capacity. The HSE has indicated that it will publish updated guidance for parents and healthcare providers on the identification and management of HHC-related problems in young people before the end of August.
What's Next
The HSE is expected to publish updated guidance on HHC and other synthetic cannabinoids before the end of August. The Department of Health has indicated that it will review the CAMHS referral criteria to ensure that children with drug-related mental health problems are not excluded from the service. The Irish College of Psychiatrists has called for an emergency review of CAMHS capacity and has indicated that it will make a submission to the Department of Health setting out the scale of the problem and the resources needed to address it. Parents concerned about their child's drug use can contact the HSE Drugs and Alcohol Helpline at 1800 459 459 for confidential support and guidance.
