Consultant in Spice-probe call as violent incidents escalating

A leading medical consultant has called for a probe into the use of Spice following escalating problems with the synthetic drug at Swansea Prison and at A&E departments.

Andy Macnab, emergency medicine consultant at Morriston Hospital, said education is needed to better understand the dangers surrounding the substance.

A report from the Independent Monitoring Board highlighted the problem with Spice within Swansea Prison.

It comes as both Morriston, and Princess of Wales Hospital, in Bridgend, saw a rise in Spice-related admissions from one or two cases a year to three or four each night at weekends.

Mr Macnab said: “I’d like to see an increase in investigation activity into Spice, and much better education about the dangers of using it.”

He warned about the effect of Spice and how it can make patients aggressive and psychotic, leading them to lash out at the staff, causing cases of violence to rise within the department.

Mr Macnab previously said: “Synthetic cannabinoids, or so-called Spice, does not act like cannabis. “It makes users very unpredictable. “Some people become very aggressive towards friends and family, and they are often very difficult to control. It can take several staff and a couple of hours to deal with them.”

Carolyn Harris, MP for Swansea East, said she believed there needed to be tougher action taken over the drug.

She said: “This is a drug for whatever reason it’s making people you don’t expect to have an interest in it.

This drug is an absolute killer.”