Solvent Abuse
The stats...
Patterns of Use
- After cannabis, VSA is the most common form of
substance misuse among school-aged children and teenagers.
- The latest Department of Health survey found that in
2004, 11% of 11-15 year olds had taken cannabis in the last year,
and 6% had misused solvents; among 11 and 12 year olds, solvent
misuse outstripped cannabis use
- Volatile substances are often one of the first drugs young
people try, as they are relatively easy to access. Older users
often mix them with harder drugs to enhance the effects.
(from Volatile Substance Abuse Today: A Qualitative Study
2005)
Find Out More
Further information about solvent use is available from the
Re-solv website, a website dedicated
to solvent misuse issues. There is a young person’s website too. There
are free factsheets available to download, and a large variety of
materials for a variety of audiences and age groups, all on sale at
reasonable prices.
You can also Talk to Frank.