Growing numbers of schools and councils are issuing warnings over pupils vaping class B drugs, as the devices continue to cause widespread disruption to the education sector. The concerns follow reports that pupils from at least two schools have been rushed to hospital after inhaling vapes laced with THC 鈥 the main psychoactive component in cannabis 鈥 this year. Honywood School, in Essex, became the latest to send a letter to parents, after becoming aware that some of its pupils 鈥渉ave been able to access and use this substance鈥. Councils, including Middlesbrough, Hampshire and Brighton, have also issued guidance in recent months on the potential effects of such substances being vaped by young people. A survey of 4,000 members published by teachers鈥 union in October found 85 per cent believed vaping was a problem on school premises, with three-quarters saying the issue had grown over the past year. Comments on their experiences included that students were 鈥渧aping THC and being sick, passing out and being high whilst on school premises鈥, and that there had been an 鈥渆scalation from vaping nicotine to THC鈥. Honywood headteacher James Saunders said, like many secondary schools, it had been forced to 鈥渞un a pretty tight ship鈥 in terms of monitoring vaping among pupils since Covid. The school has trialled a vape detector and places pupils caught with a device in isolation. 鈥淲e鈥檝e managed to kind of contain it and keep a lot of it out of school, but that doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 eradicated,鈥 said Saunders. Fears over odourless vapes A recent incident in which a child was suspected of using a vape containing THC posed another challenge because the substance is 鈥減retty odourless鈥 whereas the others have fancy smells so you could smell if someone has done it鈥. Pupils caught in possession of illegal substances are permanently excluded, while the school is 鈥渃onstantly in communication鈥 with police, said Saunders. However, he warned that while the incident was the first he鈥檇 come across, 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to start emerging as a bigger thing鈥. And while vaping itself could be disruptive to the school day, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 got more serious consequences because people could end up in hospital鈥. In May, Burnley Unity College confirmed three of its secondary students were taken to hospital after smoking a vape suspected of containing THC. Headteacher Jane Richardson said at the time that it was working with Lancashire Police, Trading Standards, the UK Health Security Agency and local safeguarding partners to 鈥渒eep our children safe鈥. According to reports, two pupils at Saddleworth School in Greater Manchester ended up in A&E in September after being given a vape on a school bus suspected of containing THC. Both schools were contacted for comment. Pupil rushed to hospital after collapse Glyn Potts, headteacher of Newman RC College, in Oldham, said he first became aware of disposable vapes being 鈥渞epurposed鈥 after a 13-year-old male pupil collapsed in July last year. The boy, who Potts said had taken a vaping device from his older brother, took the 鈥渓argest inhalation he could have done鈥 before he got off the school bus and was taken to hospital. He added that other schools in the area had experienced similar incidents with devices that have 鈥渃racks in the plastic鈥 and had been 鈥渂roken into鈥. A 鈥渞esponse system鈥 now exists in Oldham, whereby if a pupil collapses 鈥渨e can confiscate the vape, we can give it to the police, who will make a decision about whether it 鈥 needs to be tested.鈥 Greater Manchester Police said it shared information and was working with partner agencies and Trading Standards to tackle illegal vapes. Potts said he was 鈥渃oncerned鈥 about the 3 per cent of pupils he estimates are using illicit vapes, but added that while they may come in reporting that they 鈥渇eel unwell鈥, much of the issue was happening outside the school gates. Schools invest in fireproof boxes While Newman is investing in a fireproof box for storing illicit vapes that are also 鈥減rone to exploding鈥, it has only confiscated six vapes this academic year, none of which contained class Bs. Middlesbrough Council issued a warning to parents in October after Cleveland Police seized 鈥渄ozens of vapes鈥 confiscated from students by a school in the area. The force found that a small number tested positive for class B substances, which the council said could cause 鈥渟erious health problems鈥. Brighton & Hove Council said in July that the 鈥渞apid rise of vaping among children and young people, including the use of cheaper illicit and unregulated vapes, is extremely concerning鈥. In the same month, while announcing a crackdown on teen vaping 鈥 which included renewing vaping prevention programmes with schools 鈥 Hampshire County Council pointed to illegal products on the market that may contain THC. The government has set out proposals for cracking down on underage vaping and carried out a call for evidence. Pupils 鈥渟hould be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances鈥 in RSHE lessons, a Department for Education spokesperson said.