House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Drug Dealing on Social Media

Wednesday 12 November 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

Wera Hobhouse asked about drug dealing on social media and mentioned a campaign against spice-spiked vapes in schools.
Chris Vince expressed concern about the glamorisation of drug use on the internet and social media, highlighting the issue with short clips that do not show true consequences.
The Minister agreed to work with both Members to robustly enforce the duties placed on Ofcom under the Online Safety Act.

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Questions & Answers

Q1 Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath

Crime & Law Enforcement Culture, Media & Sport

Context

The MP is concerned about the rampant drug dealing on social media and the campaign she leads with the University of Bath against spice-spiked vapes affecting young people.

Question

Drug dealing is absolutely rampant on social media. The Minister might be aware of the campaign I lead, together with the University of Bath, against spice-spiked vapes in school and the terrible harm they are causing. We are increasingly frustrated that Ofcom does not use its power under the Online Safety Act to hold social media companies to account. Will the Minister meet me to discuss the problem with Ofcom, so that it ensures that young people in particular are kept safe online?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (Kanishka Narayan)

The hon. Member’s campaign has been noticed and I would be very happy to meet her to discuss how we can work together to ensure that enforcement is robust on this question.

Answered

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Q2 Chris Vince Labour (Co-op) Harlow

Culture, Media & Sport

Context

The MP is concerned about the glamorisation of drug taking on television and its harmful effects on young people through short clips on social media.

Question

Sadly, the glamorisation on TV of drug taking is not a new phenomenon, but I particularly worry about the nature of the internet and social media, and about the short clips that people watch in which the true consequences of drug taking and drug culture are not really shown properly. What can the Minister do to use the internet and social media for good, and show young people in my constituency the dangers of drug taking and drug culture?