Illegal drugs in vapes - "baller liquids" endanger young people

Illegal drugs in vape “baller liquids” endanger young people As of: November 15, 2026 • 5:11 a.m

They don't stand out and are easy to get: so-called baller liquids - powerful drugs for e-cigarettes. The liquids are specifically sold to teenagers. But their rapid intoxication can be life-threatening.

Deaths, heart palpitations, severe poisoning and psychoses: all of these and other health problems can be caused by so-called baller liquids.

Although they are smoked inconspicuously in common vapes, they are enriched with illegal, artificially produced cannabinoids - drugs from the laboratory. The police in several federal states have now warned about the liquids. The Federal Drug Commissioner is also concerned.

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Most teenagers spend many hours a day online, especially on social networks. This is exactly where providers of “Baller Liquids” are looking for customers. You will find what you are looking for on TikTok, Instagram and Co. And those who want to consume them can easily find out where the liquids are available.

“With just a few keywords I can find people who film themselves while consuming,” explains consultant Timo Bartkowiak from the Duisburg Addiction Help Association. "If I then look at the comments on the pictures, for example, I can quickly start a conversation with people. And contacts are often made through that."

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“Baller liquids” do exactly what the name suggests. When you smoke, the artificial cannabinoids they contain quickly enter the body. In the brain they attach to the same receptors as the active ingredient from the herbal cannabis.

But according to experts, the effect can be hundreds of times greater than that of natural cannabis. This no longer has anything to do with the usual high of smoking weed. Instead, there is a risk of seizures and circulatory collapse.

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What is particularly risky is that the concentration of the drug in the liquids can fluctuate greatly. Every hit on the vape is like Russian roulette. On social networks, young people repeatedly report an almost immediate crash, vomiting and heart palpitations.

The Federal Institute for Public Health therefore warns against illegal liquids on its website drugcom.de. Stefanie Eckhardt, head of the addiction prevention department, is very concerned about the consumption of liquids. In the worst case scenario, they would lead to very serious poisoning.

The federal institute also points out other possible devastating consequences, including respiratory arrest, acute kidney failure and cardiac arrhythmias. Deaths in connection with “shooting liquids” have even been documented.

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The Hamburg addiction doctor Peter Strate from the Asklepios Klinik Nord - Ochsenzoll now also sees the long-term effects of the “Baller-Liquids”. Some patients continued to suffer from the consequences even weeks after treatment in the emergency room: "In an overdose, this can result in you fainting, vomiting, no longer knowing where you are, who you are, and then that can be extremely threatening."

Strate further explains: "As a result, you can suddenly develop an anxiety disorder and develop compulsions." An existing mental illness can also be aggravated by the synthetic cannabinoids.

Experts warn that the risk of developing psychosis is even higher than with herbal cannabis, especially in young people. Strate reports that the substances sometimes even appear in apparently legal cannabis liquids - an unforeseeable danger for users who actually wanted to smoke a milder drug.

Another factor that makes the liquids - also called "Görke" - particularly attractive to young people: In contrast to cannabis, they do not have a noticeable smell. Young people smoke them even during school hours. In the Oldenburg district, a 16-year-old girl came to the emergency room last year because of this.

According to the police, it happened at a school in Sandkrug. Because of this, the young woman's life was in danger at times. Several such cases were also reported in the city of Hof in Bavaria, where the public prosecutor's office and police had also warned about the drugs. Several young men were arrested in Hof in the summer of 2026. They are said to have sold the “Baller Liquids” in the city.

The spread of liquids goes hand in hand with the use of vapes. Its use is particularly widespread among young people. Whether someone is consuming a normal vape liquid or an illegal liquid cannot be distinguished by their appearance or smell. “Having an e-cigarette in your hand doesn’t mean anything,” says addiction consultant Timo Bartkowiak. "Nobody knows that I'm actually consuming a hard chemical substance."

In addition, the colored liquids look particularly attractive and exciting for young people. They are even enriched with sweet flavors.

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Hendrick Streeck, the Federal Government Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues, sees this as a growing problem. “Baller liquids” have boosted the illegal trade in synthetic drugs, he says when asked. Dealers reached “a very young and often vulnerable target group” via social media. He advocates “a strategically interlinked approach at the interface of domestic, health and digital policy”.

The long-term consequences of consumption are still largely unknown, although research is providing initial clues. Recently, an international review study reported long-term effects on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. A Turkish study also discovered problems with cognitive processes, i.e. the processing of information.

Addiction consultant Bartkowiak would like to see more decisive political action and additional resources in prevention in order to counteract this dangerous trend. In concrete terms, this means more information, with more staff in the advice centers, as well as stricter measures to paralyze the dealers. Dubious sites on the Internet should be shut down more quickly, he says. “Prosecution would have to go hand in hand with prevention offerings and counseling options.”

He also sees so-called “drug checking” as an important measure, as does the Hamburg addiction doctor Strate. These are testing facilities where users of various drugs can have their composition tested before consumption. So it is not a measure that directly prevents consumption, but at least a way to reduce the risk of unwanted poisoning.

Addiction experts advise parents not to rule out possible drug use if their children notice noticeable changes in their behavior. If in doubt, you should seek advice - whether from your family doctor or an addiction counseling center. Because cell phones and vapes make drug use easier than ever for young people.

This topic in the program: BR Radio Lower Bavaria | Regional News | Mar 10, 2026 | 07:30 am