Volatile Substance Abuse (VSA) is the general term given to substance abuse such as glue sniffing and inhaling gas or vapour.
- It first became prominent in the UK during the 1970s and now causes more deaths among 10-to 16-year-olds than any Class A narcotic, or other illegal drug.
- One of the most dangerous aspects of VSA is that it involves everyday household objects rather than illicit substances. According to the charity Solve It, there are more than 50 products in the average home that can be abused in this way and do not show up in non-invasive drug tests.
- There is no such thing as a typical abuser. VSA is prevalent across all social classes, ages and ethnic backgrounds. The youngest person to die from VSA was just seven, while the oldest was 80 years old.
- The most common type of VSA is spraying gas, often butane, from a canister directly into the mouth. This is the cause of the majority of all VSA related deaths. Despite the sale of butane cigarette lighter refills to under-18s being banned, those who abuse substances in this age group still commonly use them. In 2005, there were four times as many male than female VSA deaths overall, but among under-18s the numbers were the same.
- The health effects are unpredictable and can be severe. In some cases, VSA can cause heart damage and death through heart failure can also occur if the cardiovascular system becomes clogged up with fluid or is deprived of blood flow.
59 deaths a year from VSA, on average from 1999-2005
80% of VSA deaths are caused by inhaling butane
8 under-18s died from VSA in 2005
Source: NHS Choices
