Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the response. The unfortunate thing is that it is almost a carbon copy of responses I have already received from the office of the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, when I flagged this previously. There are some encouraging elements in the response in that there is clearly an awareness of this substance. There is awareness of the impacts it has on young people and of the psychosis that is linked to it. What I am concerned about, however, is that the same language has been used for the past number of months, in that the issue is being monitored. What I am hearing from parents, however, is that this substance is having an impact on their children now and is changing their children's personality. Vibrant, intelligent, enthusiastic young people are becoming withdrawn, disinterested, depressed and anxious. This is happening now, so we have to go past the monitoring phase. The time now is for action.

More concerningly, as I said in my opening statement, big red flags are being waved by the likes of the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and drug addiction centres. They are seeing these kids come in in bigger numbers every week.

I do not mean to shoot the messenger. The Minister of State is here reading an answer on behalf of the Minister for Health, and I appreciate that the issue is being monitored, but now is the time for action. This substance needs to be brought under the control of drugs Act. We need to stamp this out. Vapes are a scourge as it is, environmentally and in terms of their accessibility. These are so accessible. They are in every shop and are being sold to kids like sweets. It needs to stop, especially these HHC products, which are clearly causing havoc to kids' mental health. I would love the Minister of State to bring the message back to the Minister that we need to take this more seriously.

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