AT this time, young people are receiving the sacrament of Confirmation across Ireland, faith leaders are calling for a renewed emphasis on the traditional temperance pledge with an urgent appeal to include smoking and vaping, particularly in light of rising concerns about the spread of synthetic cannabinoids like hexahydrocannabinol (HHC).
The danger of vapes using HHC was highlighted by the Spring Meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Maynooth, as well as an article by Bishop Michael Router in The Irish Times to mark Temperance Sunday on 2 March. Bishop Router, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Armagh and liaison bishop to the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative (IBDI), highlighted the harrowing story told by a mother, of a teenager’s descent into addiction through legal access to HHC, a potent synthetic drug openly sold in vape shops across the country.
In his article, Bishop Router shared how this distressed mother wrote to the IBDI after her 17-year-old daughter became addicted to HHC. Despite the drug’s legality in Ireland, the teenager suffered severe mental health consequences, including depression, psychosis, and suicidal thoughts, leading to her withdrawal from school and admission to psychiatric care.
Darren Butler (pictured above), National Coordinator at the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative, echoed the concern of Bishop Router, and emphasised the need to modernise the traditional Confirmation pledge saying, “As Confirmation ceremonies take place in parishes throughout Ireland, it is time for a renewal of the pledge and a reimagining of what it includes,” Mr Butler said. “Smoking and vaping, especially with substances like HHC, are increasingly part of young people’s experiences. It’s critical that our prevention efforts reflect this new reality.”
Mr Butler urged parish leaders, schools, and parents to support a comprehensive, age-appropriate education on substance misuse and to promote the pledge not just as a once-off commitment, but as part of an ongoing conversation about health and wellbeing.
Darren Butler continued, “There’s a real opportunity during Confirmation season to have a meaningful influence on the choices of young people. However we need to address the issues that our young people are actually facing today, not just those we dealt with a generation ago.”
HHC has already been banned in several European countries including France, Austria, and Denmark, yet remains unregulated in Ireland, a fact campaigners say leaves young people here dangerously exposed.
The Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative continues to advocate for legislative action and greater public awareness as part of a national push toward healthier communities. To find out more information on the IBDI click HERE.
