
Psychiatrists call for ban of psychoactive substance that ‘has done major damage' to teens' mental health
What is HHC?
HHC is a legally available, semi-synthetic cannabinoid. Chemically, it is like THIC, which is the main psychoactive substance found in cannabis that produces a 'high'.
And where can you get it?
As it is legal, it is actually quite widely available. It has been on the Irish market since 2022 and is available to purchase in shops and online. It comes in a number of forms, including
vapes
and edibles.
Why are health professionals concerned?
The
HSE
and the Irish
College of Psychiatrists
have raised concerns in recent years about the impact this has on people's mental health.
This was confirmed in recent days after a new study by researchers in University Hospital Galway found HHC was the second most common drug used by patients presenting with psychosis over a 21-month period. Cannabis was used the most, the study found.
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Cannabis-like drug causing severe psychosis in young men, College of Psychiatrists warn
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What were the findings of the study?
Research published in the BJPsych Bulletin examined medical records of patients admitted for psychotic illness into University Hospital Galway to assess the use HHC or other illicit drugs before admission.
Of the 214 total admissions for psychotic illness between May 2023 and December 2024, 28 admissions (13.1 per cent) were preceded by use of HHC, nine of whom used only HHC.
Sixteen (34 per cent) admissions of first-episode psychosis were preceded by HHC use, with seven of these people using only HHC.
And were there cohorts of society more likely to use HHC?
According to the study, HHC users were more likely to be male and range in age from 18 to 49 with a median age of 24.
The researchers said psychosis associated with HHC appears 'to be more prominent in young people with early-phase psychosis', adding that it highlighted a need for policymakers to 'change legislation to avoid further harm'.
So what do psychiatrists want to see happen?
The Irish College of Psychiatrists said this research confirms their calls over the past year that the substance should be banned.
'HHC is a particularly harmful substance that, in just a few short years since its creation, has done major damage to the mental health of many people, and adolescents in particular,' the statement said.
'It beggars belief that HHC is still freely available around Ireland without any restrictions, given the overwhelming evidence of its harms. The legislative framework exists for the Government to ban HHC – it now needs to act urgently to do so before more people and their loved ones are negatively impacted.'
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Her 17-year-old daughter is under psychiatric care after becoming addicted to HHC vapes
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And is the HSE seeing this too?
The HSE has previously said there has been a 'concerning' increase in the number of children and young people presenting to addiction services with mental health problems due to HHC.
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HHC vapes: 'It only took a few puffs to turn him completely zombie-like'
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What do vendors say?
Luke Gavin, chief executive of Owls Oil, which sells HHC products, said the sector is 'pro-regulation' but does not agree with an outright ban on the substance.
He said there is an 'opportunity' to enact appropriate regulations that assure of safety and ensure standards are followed.
Mr Gavin said this comes down to being 'educated' about what's being consumed and why.
'I believe there's a reason we're here. Cannabis is not available and people are looking for a safer alternative to black market cannabis. That's why I believe HHC has exploded. People want to consume these products safely.'
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RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
'Healthcare workers are starving to death,' Gaza rally hears
Healthcare workers led hundreds of demonstrators opposing the ongoing war in Gaza in a silent march through Dublin city centre. It was organised by Irish Healthcare Workers for Palestine, an informal group of more than 500 healthcare workers in Ireland. Dublin-based GP and Medical Director of Safetynet, Dr Angy Skuce, said it was their largest demonstration to date. She believes many were motivated to join today's silent protest, because people are now "watching the slow starvation of everybody in Gaza". "So for 20 months we have been watching our colleagues being bombed, shot at, abducted, killed, but now we are actually watching them in real time slowly starving to death," Dr Skuce said. "We're in regular contact with people over there, we're getting videos from doctors, nurses and ambulance staff over there, and over the last few months we've actually watched them get thinner and thinner and thinner," she added. "They are dying themselves and they are also trying to save people who are brought into their hospital, dying," Dr Skuce said. Among those leading the demonstration was Dr Ahmad Adjina, a GP in Templeogue in Dublin, who is originally from Gaza. "I have two cousins who are doctors, one is a surgeon in northern Gaza, another is in the south," Dr Adjina said, "whatever they can do, they do it". "If they had the equipment they would stay 24 hours working but they don't have that, and that's the issue," Dr Adjina said. "The other thing is they are moving from place to place to place to place, I don't know how they are surviving," he said. His wife Fatima Jabr is also from Gaza and she attended today's march along with their son. "It's getting worse and worse and worse every day," Ms Jabr said. "I just want to thank the Irish people, no words can say how grateful we are, honestly," Ms Jabr said, as she broke down in tears, "the support we have gotten from Irish people is beyond words". Demonstrators carried placards with the names and photos of some of Palestinian doctors that have been killed, while others highlighted the chronic shortages of basic medical supplies in Gaza, such as anesthetics and gauze. Medics also carried a stretcher with bandaged dolls through the streets, to represent the war's civilian child causalties. In silence, protesters began their march outside the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland on St Stephen's Green and made their way slowly and solemnly through an otherwise busy Grafton Street. They were met with spontaneous applause as they turned onto South William Street before walking past the Gaiety Theatre and St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre and returning to RSCI. There, Dr George Little, a consultant in emergency medicine, addressed the crowd. He told those gathered that healthcare workers had "a moral obligation, an ethical obligation and professional obligation to protect human rights". "In the last week we have begun to see the overt signs of starvation" in Gaza, Dr Little told RTÉ News. "I think that has a visceral response, particularly for Irish people, that's what it looks like, that's what forced starvation looks like."


RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Healthcare workers stage Gaza protest march in Dublin
Healthcare workers led hundreds of demonstrators opposing the ongoing war in Gaza in a silent march through Dublin city centre. It was organised by Irish Healthcare Workers for Palestine, an informal group of more than 500 healthcare workers in Ireland. Dublin-based GP and Medical Director of Safetynet, Dr Angy Skuce, said it was their largest demonstration to date. She believes many were motivated to join today's silent protest, because people are now "watching the slow starvation of everybody in Gaza". "So for 20 months we have been watching our colleagues being bombed, shot at, abducted, killed, but now we are actually watching them in real time slowly starving to death," Dr Skuce said. "We're in regular contact with people over there, we're getting videos from doctors, nurses and ambulance staff over there, and over the last few months we've actually watched them get thinner and thinner and thinner," she added. "They are dying themselves and they are also trying to save people who are brought into their hospital, dying," Dr Skuce said. Among those leading the demonstration was Dr Ahmad Adjina, a GP in Templeogue in Dublin, who is originally from Gaza. "I have two cousins who are doctors, one is a surgeon in northern Gaza, another is in the south," Dr Adjina said, "whatever they can do, they do it". "If they had the equipment they would stay 24 hours working but they don't have that, and that's the issue," Dr Adjina said. "The other thing is they are moving from place to place to place to place, I don't know how they are surviving," he said. His wife Fatima Jabr is also from Gaza and she attended today's march along with their son. "It's getting worse and worse and worse every day," Ms Jabr said. "I just want to thank the Irish people, no words can say how grateful we are, honestly," Ms Jabr said, as she broke down in tears, "the support we have gotten from Irish people is beyond words". Demonstrators carried placards with the names and photos of some of Palestinian doctors that have been killed, while others highlighted the chronic shortages of basic medical supplies in Gaza, such as anesthetics and gauze. Medics also carried a stretcher with bandaged dolls through the streets, to represent the war's civilian child causalties. In silence, protesters began their march outside the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland on St Stephen's Green and made their way slowly and solemnly through an otherwise busy Grafton Street. They were met with spontaneous applause as they turned onto South William Street before walking passed the Gaiety Theatre and St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre and returning to RSCI. There, Dr George Little, a consultant in emergency medicine, addressed the crowd. He told those gathered that healthcare workers had "a moral obligation, an ethical obligation and professional obligation to protect human rights". "In the last week we have begun to see the overt signs of starvation" in Gaza, Dr Little told RTÉ News. "I think that has a visceral response, particularly for Irish people, that's what it looks like, that's what forced starvation looks like."

The Journal
11 hours ago
- The Journal
Outpatients in Ireland face the longest waits for care of patients in similar countries
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Ireland's waiting lists were found to have reduced since 2022, which the department's report said indicated the country managed the pandemic backlog well and kept pace with population growth. 40% of people were waiting for appointments for more than six months, compared to 53% pre-Covid. The average wait time was under seven months. Among the assessed countries, Ireland and Wales had the highest percentage of people waiting more than a year for an outpatient appointment. In comparison to the other countries, Ireland had significantly higher waiting times for cataract surgeries and hysterectomies. Patients waited for an average of 167 days for cataract surgery in Ireland. The average waiting time for a hysterectomy in Ireland was 267 days, this is almost 100 days more than the country with the second longest waiting list for hysterectomies, Portugal. In the report, the Department of Health states that 'despite significant improvements, Ireland still has average waiting volumes and the highest wait times compared to other assessed countries'. 'This indicates that while progress has been made, further improvements are possible for Ireland to be among the better performing countries, especially regarding wait times,' it said. Inpatient lists The report also analysed how Ireland compares with several other countries regarding inpatient waiting lists, including Denmark, Spain, Canada, Poland, England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and Greece. Inpatient care involves a patient staying in a hospital overnight for care or treatment, while outpatient care tends to involve non-residential hospital appointments such as consultations, diagnostic tests, or minor procedures or treatments. The number of people on Irish inpatient waiting lists was increasing, but was still much lower than the number of people waiting for outpatient appointments. 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We are a long, long way from that,' he said. He said elective surgeries, such as orthopaedics, tend to have the longest waiting lists, primarily due to cancellation. 'There is consistent and persistent overcrowding in emergency hospitals,' he said, adding that this is caused by a lack of beds, which moves patients into the emergency department and results in the cancellation of elective operations due to a lack of space. Cullinane said long waiting lists in Ireland are due to a number of issues, including the lack of beds and staff, and the lack of a seven day week service. He also said there is a 'lack of transparency' relating to waiting lists, as only acute hospital waiting lists are regularly published. He added that waiting lists in other areas of the health service, such as community care, are also problematic. The Department of Health told The Journal they welcome the report, and noted the finding that Ireland made the greatest improvement between December 2022 and December 2024. It said: 'It is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. The Minister for Health is conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.' 'The Minister published the Waiting List Action Plan (WLAP) for 2025 in February, representing this Government's commitment to reducing waiting times for patients and improving access to hospital care.' 'With the 2025 plan, we are continuing to build upon the progress delivered to date under the multi-annual action plan approach, progressing towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality care, where and when they need it.' With reporting by Conor O'Carroll Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... 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