According to Swedish Customs, seizures of e-cigarettes containing narcotic substances nearly tripled between 2024 and 2025. In 2023, the agency seized over 17,000 e-cigarettes containing cannabinoids. The imported e-cigarettes often contain narcotic-classified preparations or substances about to be classified as narcotics. The substances found are often synthetic or semi-synthetic cannabinoids, with some fully synthetic substances of the same type as those during the deadly Spice wave in the 2010s. The packaging is often colorful and clearly aimed at younger people, but the ingredient list often does not match the actual contents, according to Swedish Customs laboratory officer Jenny Åberg, as reported by www.aftonbladet.se. She described users as becoming "like a guinea pig" because they do not know what variant they are getting.
Police in Järfälla and Upplands-Bro have warned that synthetic cannabis in e-cigarettes, known as "dundervapes," is back in a new form. According to www.tv4.se, community police officer Magnus Nilsson said the smoke is odorless and easy to hide, and use can only be detected through blood tests, not urine tests. Police in Jämtland warn that vape sales to young people often occur on social media and that sellers may also deal narcotics. They urge parents to monitor their children's phones and apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and Discord, noting that some parents downplay vape use, saying "it's just vapes."
You don't know what variant you're getting, you become like a guinea pig.
In addition to the increase, there is a shift towards more synthetic substances. And that is a danger in itself; a lab analysis is needed to know what is really in them.
It may look very innocent, but it's not.
It is quite rare that what is written on the packaging matches what is inside. And even if something is written on the packaging, it is not a given that it is true; it could be something else. It's like a lottery what you get.
The trend is towards more and more dangerous variants. As a parent or guardian, you have no idea what your young people are smoking.
The smoke is odorless and it's easy to hide. The kids can have the vape in their hoodie and they sit and suck on it during math class.
If you discover that your child is vaping and also have a gut feeling that something is off about how the child behaves in certain situations, we recommend you contact an addiction clinic, because in that case there is a high risk that they are using these 'dundervapes' with synthetic cannabis.