Students across the country are beginning their new year at university over the next couple of weeks with an exciting calendar of freshers, back-to-university events, and nights out taking place across the country. 

However, with recent news reporting a rise in vape spiking, it is more important than ever to take precautions to ensure you stay safe whilst on nights out at university, especially if you’re tempted to indulge in vaping.

With this in mind, experts at vape and CBD shop offer advice to ensure people can stay safe and enjoy their favourite events and nights out.

Five expert tips to stay safe amid vape spiking

Don’t share your vape

While at an event, it can be easy to share your vape with strangers who may ask for a puff; however, sharing could instantly leave you susceptible to vape spiking. 

Vape spiking entails lacing vapes with substances such as vapourised LSD, which can lead to serious health implications. Being aware of everything around you is hard in crowded events and venues. Therefore, it is always best to avoid sharing your vape to ensure that you know it is safe and hasn’t been tampered with in this way.

Don’t accept vapes from strangers offering them

Bars, clubs and other events are full of thousands of people all coming together to enjoy themselves, and among this fun, some people may offer you a puff of their vape. If this happens to you, you should decline the offer, as this could be another method to leave you susceptible to the dangers of vape spiking. 

When taking a vape from a stranger, you can never be sure of what it may contain or be fully certain that it’s safe to smoke. As such, it’s safer to decline a vape from a stranger to help avoid this health risk.

Ensure no one tampers with your vape

In a bustling, crowded event, it is easy not to be aware of your surroundings, and in these types of situations, keeping track of where your vape is can be crucial. You should look to store your vape in the same way that you would store your phone, bank card, or other important personal possessions. 

If you have a vape, keep it somewhere safe, such as a pocket or bag, and if you find it in a different place than where it was originally stored, it is always best not to smoke it again to be safe. 

Investing in a case to store your vape is a really good idea if you are going to a bar, club, or big event, as it helps keep everything together and protects your device when not in use.

If you find a vape you dropped or lost, don’t smoke it again

Dropping things or losing possessions in crowded events can be easy if you aren’t careful. So, if you drop your vape and someone claims to have found it, ensure not to smoke it again, as you cannot be sure if it has been tampered with. 

Secondly, if you find it on the floor or anywhere, it shouldn’t be; again, make sure not to smoke it, as there is always a possibility someone may have tampered with or spiked your device, leaving it unsafe for use.

Buy vapes from reliable retailers

Whether you’re at an event or hanging out in the smoking area of a bar or club, people may offer to sell you a vape or liquids at bargain prices. While this may be a tempting offer, purchasing your vaping equipment from a reputable retailer is always advisable to ensure your safety.

Vapes purchased from a stranger could be laced with vapourised LSD or synthetic marijuana, jeopardising your health and putting you at risk of vape spiking. 

Dan Currey, director of a vape and CBD shop, says: “Thousands of students will be flocking to various exciting venues and events with the new academic year beginning, and with the increase in vaping, many will be taking their vapes along with them. It is, therefore, crucial to ensure everyone is careful with what they are vaping and where they have obtained it from. 

“Using a case to store your device is a good idea as it can help protect it when not used. Additionally, checking the packaging of a vape can be a good indicator of its legitimacy. 

“Vape packaging should have nicotine warnings printed and include a best-before date. Each vape should also have a serial number that you can check. If unsure, you can search the number on MHRA to make sure it’s legit or not. If the vape doesn’t include this information, it may be a fake. There is no harm in bringing an extra vape or a spare coil to avoid any temptation to buy vapes from strangers.”