City Council Acts on Surge in Tourist Intoxications

Barcelona City Council has issued a public warning over a spike in tourist intoxications linked to unregulated psychoactive products, including so-called "laughing gummies" and high-potency vaping devices sold openly in central districts. The products, often marketed as harmless souvenirs, contain semi-synthetic cannabis derivatives such as HHC and 10-OH, which are not subject to food or health safety regulations. They are primarily sold in shops in the Raval, Gòtic, and along La Rambla, many of which operate under florist or gift shop licences. Health Councillor Marta Villanueva confirmed that the majority of affected users are English-speaking tourists around 30 years old. "We don't want drug use to be trivialized," she said. "Healthcare centres are reporting more cases, and we need people to understand the real risks."

Hidden Dangers in Unlabelled Products

Many of these items are sold without ingredient labels or dosage information. Shop assistants, often speaking only English, encourage customers to try vapes with up to 900 puffs priced at 70 euros, claiming they induce psychotropic effects. One visitor, 45, recounted buying an unbranded white vape device for 30 euros in the Gòtic quarter. "We vaped all afternoon and felt nothing," he said. "But the next morning, my wife spent hours vomiting."

"You think you're buying something safe, controlled by authorities, and you end up in A&E with a panic attack,"

Warnings from Clínic Hospital show that intoxication cases have doubled in two years, with 24 incidents treated in 2024 alone. The hospital has highlighted the unpredictable effects of these substances, which can trigger anxiety, cold sweats, and disorientation after just one puff.

In spring 2025, the Spanish government banned food products containing semi-synthetic cannabis derivatives, including gummies and edibles. However, retailers quickly shifted to non-food items like vapes and resins, exploiting regulatory gaps. While the City Council initiated 15 sanctioning proceedings in 2025 with fines up to 60,001 euros, totaling over 300,000 euros, and referred seven cases to other agencies, enforcement remains difficult. Barcelona now hosts around 250 such shops, many legally registered under alternative business categories. Administrative moratoria have only slowed, not stopped, their expansion.

Public Awareness Push Underway

To reduce demand, the council has distributed 300 posters and 5,000 leaflets in hostels and guesthouses, and produced educational videos in English and other languages. "These derivatives are so new that we still lack long-term health studies," Villanueva added. "Our goal is to stop tourists from walking into flashy shops and walking out with dangerous, unregulated substances." The campaign urges visitors to avoid any product making unverified health or psychoactive claims, particularly those without clear labelling or sold in non-specialist retail environments.

Reported by lavanguardia.com, La Vanguardia Barcelona.