On March 26, a high school in Douglas County, Nevada, announced that it had confiscated vape pens laced with marijuana, MDMA, and fentanyl, prompting online conversations about the safety of commercially available vape pens and marijuana products. In a joint statement with the school district, county law enforcement said that the case “underscores the serious risks associated with vaping, particularly among youth.” Social media users expressed concern about how children are accessing these products and discussed the risks of buying laced products. Some posts questioned if commercially available marijuana products were at risk of being laced with other substances, while others urged people to only buy marijuana and vaping products from regulated shops instead of off the street.
Recommendation
Social media and news reports about fentanyl-laced vaping products provide public health communicators the opportunity to explain the risks of vaping and provide information about the safe use of vaping products. Communicators may also wish to clarify that many anecdotal reports about fentanyl-laced marijuana products have been found to be false and that the risk of encountering fentanyl-laced marijuana is low.
Fact-checking sources: CDC, Johns Hopkins
