Vapes containing the drug Spice put five schoolchildren in hospital after smoking them in south London.
The incident involving five teenagers happened in Eltham, south-east London on January 29 and comes amid growing concern about the use of vapes by children.
One of the five, all of whom were aged fourteen to sixteen, was put into an induced coma, reported The Mirror.
The teens are alleged to have used a rechargeable vape pen containing blue liquid labelled Vaporesso.
In a separate incident, two youngsters were also left unwell after using a Spice-laced vape labelled Lemonade Vape Cookies in Merton last month, the paper also reported.
It comes after public health officials in Wales warned of people consuming Spice-laced vapes, saying many thought they instead contained cannabis oils or liquids.
The Welsh Emerging Drugs and Identification of Novel Substances service. (WEDINOS), said their latest showed that of 196 samples of liquids submitted to them in 2023, almost a third contained the class of chemicals to which Spice belongs.
The effects of the drug are similar to cannabis but stronger, and has been described as leaving users in a “zombie-like” state. Side effects can include nausea and mood swings.
Professor Rick Lines, Head of Substance Misuse at Public Health Wales said “The increased risk of overdose from high potency drugs shouldn’t be underestimated.
“We are concerned that people may not be getting what they think they are getting, when they buy drugs online.”
Last year, Middlesbrough Council issued a warning about the dangers of unregulated vapes after similar reports of Spice-filled vapes in schools in Teesside.
Dozens of vapes were confiscated from pupils in Middlesbrough over a period of a few weeks, with a number sent off for testing for class B substances like Spice.
It comes as the Government last month confirmed it would ban disposable vapes amid concern at their take-up by children.
Measures will also be introduced to prevent vapes being marketed at children and to target under-age sales.
However, rechargeable vapes are not set to be affected by the changes.
