Solvent abuse
We have all read or heard, at some point, something about solvent abuse or VSA (volatile substance abuse), but we may not have really taken in the seriousness of it. The statistics are disturbing.
On average in the UK one person dies each week as a result of using substances such as glue, aerosol sprays or petrol fumes. This is a shocking statistic, think about it worldwide and the number becomes staggering.
If you consider that the average household in the UK alone contains thirty or more products which can be inhaled, it is easy to see how accessible these are especially to children and young people.
Solvent abuse and the law
At present the law does not give any classification for solvents and until very recently it was not even included in any drug education.
There are special rules about the sale of solvents:
- Shopkeepers are breaking the law if they sell solvents to people under the age of 18 who they think are going to abuse them.
- They can also refuse to sell them to someone over 18, if they think that the person is buying them for people under 18.
- Some solvent products have caused so many deaths and injuries that no one under 18 can buy them at all. Even if the shopkeeper doesn't think they will be used for solvent abuse.
However, it would appear from reading various reports that there have been very few prosecutions.
More information should be given about solvent abuse
When you consider how easy these products are to obtain, how inexpensive they are, and also how accessible they are in households, schools and workplaces, then surely more information should be made available, particularly to children and young people, on the risks and dangers of using these substances.
Like any other drugs such as alcohol, cannabis and cocaine, solvents can be addictive. Like other drugs solvents cause irreparable damage to major organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, brain and can ultimately result in death.
There is no typical child or young person who inhales solvents. So what makes them? A range of reasons such as experimentation, peer pressure, accessibility, boredom and social activity.
The argument put forward is that by giving information it will encourage children and young people to experiment; but surely that can be said of all drugs.
Don’t we owe it to children and young people, and also parents, to make them aware of the risks and dangers of solvent abuse? Unlike alcohol and other drugs, the use of solvents can go undetected until it is too late.