Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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1614. To ask the Minister for Health the regulations in place on HHC vapes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30523/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Under Section 3 of the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances ) Act 2010:

3.— (1) A person who sells a psychoactive substance knowing or being reckless as to whether that substance is being acquired or supplied for human consumption shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) A person who imports or exports a psychoactive substance knowing or being reckless as to whether that substance is being acquired or supplied for human consumption shall be guilty of an offence.

HHC will shortly be added to the Misuse of Drugs Act Regulations 2017 as a Schedule 1 controlled drug, the strictest level of control where possession will be considered an offence.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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1615. To ask the Minister for Health the information campaigns available, specifically for young people, on HHC vapes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30524/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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It is expected that legislation will be brought to Government shortly and when it is complete, HHC will be classified under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017 as a Schedule 1 controlled drug and will be subject to all legal provisions that apply to a Schedule 1 controlled drug.

• When a new psychoactive substance emerges internationally, it is subjected to multi-layered analysis and risk assessment to determine whether a substance has medical/commercial/industrial uses and whether it poses a risk to public health.
• At the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in March this year a vote was taken to add HHC to the International Drug Conventions, which will be reflected in domestic legislation by the Department of Health.
• People are encouraged to follow HSE social media channels @drugsdotie for updates about drug trends, including synthetic cannabinoids such as HHC.
• The HSE also has factsheets available for parents on various the topic of related to cannabis and resources for parents who want to discuss the topic of substance use with their teens.