The contamination of SCs in vaping products is an emerging public health issue that is increasingly resulting in reports of adverse health effects [10]. Here, we report the detection and quantification of the SC 5F‐MDMB‐PICA in unlabelled disposable vapes that were volunteered by an individual presenting to a drug and alcohol service after experiencing various adverse effects. Since 2019, 5F‐MDMB‐PICA has been one of the most commonly detected SC compounds in the United States and in the United Kingdom [12, 13] and it has been implicated in several fatal and non‐fatal poisonings [13, 14].

Quantitative analyses of the vape samples revealed that the median concentrations of 5F‐MDMB‐PICA in these products was 0.85 mg/ml (range = 0.59–1.63). Although existing data on the concentration of SCs encountered in vaping products is sparse, this concentration range is similar to those reported in a previously published analysis of e‐liquid samples seized in China [15]. Disposable vapes typically have an e‐liquid capacity of 2 ml, meaning that if used to completion, a single vape containing SCs at the concentrations identified here would expose users to approximately 2 mg of SC material. By contrast, the median concentration of SCs in the most recently published analysis of herbal material was 13 mg per gram [16], and in a large international survey SC users reported using an average of 0.5 g per session [17]. However, despite the low concentration, the service user submitting the vapes analyzed here reported experiencing a range of adverse effects, including symptoms consistent with SC withdrawal (e.g. irritability, anxiety, low mood) upon cessation [17].

These products were initially sold as THC‐based products, although a COA later provided by the supplier reported the contents as a mixture of semi‐synthetic cannabinoids including HHC and THC‐O. Semi‐synthetic cannabinoids are newly emerging products which are reported to produce similar effects to THC and are often sold as legal alternatives to cannabis—especially in the United States [18], from where these samples were purportedly sourced. However, unlike the legal retail market for THC products in some US states, the sale of semi‐synthetic cannabinoid products remains unregulated and there are no quality or safety controls. There is therefore a risk that semi‐synthetic cannabinoid products may be mis‐sold as SCs more widely throughout the United States and elsewhere, and consumers should be aware that COAs may be falsified and should not be used to guarantee the contents (or safety) of products purchased on the illicit market.

E‐liquids marketed as THC or cannabis have become a common source of drug contamination, not just with SCs but also other illicit drugs, including most recently xylazine [19]. The vapes analyzed here were also sold as cannabis products; however, their appearance closely resembled regulated nicotine‐based disposable vapes and they could conceivably be sold or mistaken as such. It is not possible to determine the content of these products based on their external or internal appearance, and any products sourced illicitly are likely to pose significant risks of unintended drug exposure, regardless of marketing or purchase intent. Furthermore, governments in several different countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia, are beginning to introduce bans on the sale of disposable vaping products. Also, the United Kingdom has recently passed a law which will prevent anyone born after the year 2009 from ever legally purchasing tobacco products (although this law does not extend to re‐useable vaping devices or e‐liquids and other products containing nicotine) [20]. It is possible that restricting legal access to these products could lead to the expansion of the illicit market as consumers seek alternative sources, and this could further increase potential risks.

To help mitigate these risks, the potential harms of illicitly sourced products need to be effectively communicated to consumers, especially young people, who may be particularly likely to purchase vapes from illicit sources (e.g. from friends or dealers) due to age‐related sale restrictions of legal products [6]. Risks also need to be communicated to individuals working in schools and other environments where use of illicit vaping products may be more common—such as prison settings (due to the tobacco smoking ban and high rates of SC use within this population)—and measures to prevent their use should be implemented. Also, to improve treatment and diagnosis, health‐care professionals should be aware that adverse effects associated with vaping product use may be the result of acute drug toxicity.

Drug‐checking services can play a crucial role in monitoring and identifying potential risky trends in drug markets; however, the detection of drugs in vaping products and other complex matrices presents major technical challenges which prevent rapid, field‐based testing of these products [8]. This is an important limitation, as vapes are becoming a common way to consume a broad range of drugs [4] and, as shown here and elsewhere, they may be mis‐sold and adulterated with other potentially more harmful drugs [7, 8, 19]. Disposable vapes also present additional challenges as these products are sealed and cannot be used after their contents have been extracted for analysis, and they may be used by individuals who do not typically engage with drug‐checking or other harm reduction services. There is therefore a need for these services to adapt to the changing landscape of drug use and improve their capacity and reach to rapidly test drugs in vaping products.

This study has important strengths. As far as we are aware, this is the first study to conduct analyses of used and sealed disposable vaping products and the presence of SCs were confirmed via two validated methods (NMR and GC‐EI‐MS). However, it has important limitations. Analyses were conducted on a small sample of vapes volunteered by a single individual, which cannot be considered representative of the wider market for these products. Nonetheless, as the first study to identify and quantify SCs in disposable vaping products, this strongly warrants urgent investigation in the content of these products on a larger scale.