Approaching solvent abuse

Volatile substance abuse is often approached within the framework of controlled drugs. But it may be appropriate to consider a differentiated approach in educating young people about VSA when you consider some of the differences between drugs and solvents:

• The age at which young people experiment with volatile substances is often very much lower. They can be more vulnerable, therefore, to influence from peers and older children.
  
  
• Death can occur on the first experiment. There is an image associated with drugs that only "addicts" are at risk. This is patently untrue with VSA. In 37% of deaths in 1997 there was no prior known history of abuse.
  
  
• The products which young people sniff are not illegal. Most can be found readily in the home, school or workplace and all have a legitimate purpose.
  
  
• Sniffing itself is not illegal. It is easy for young people to argue that they are doing nothing wrong.

Re-Solv believes that preventative education needs to start at preschool age, highlighting the inherent dangers of many everyday products in the same way that we teach children not to play with matches or to swallow poisons.

back to factsheet menu

top | home