Blog Report

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Volatile Substance Abuse in Teenagers

Original article by Christopher Evans of drug-aware.com

The author of a new piece on the need for education of volatile substance abuse, (VSA) otherwise known as huffing, declares that the lack of proper drug education is failing “our young people.” He states that the “youngest person to die from VSA was just seven years old, and the oldest was 80 years old,” suggesting that more education on all age and grade levels is necessary.

Christopher Evans quotes a 2007 report by St Georges University which detailed the latest statistics regarding deaths associated with VSA between 1971 and 2005. The study added the total UK recorded VSA deaths since 1971 to be 2,198.

Evans goes on to describe the many problems with inhalants; their easy access, the fact that no special equipment or pipe is necessary, the lack of home drug tests for inhalants, and the unique and fatal disorder known as “sudden sniffing death syndrome.”

“The good news is that since 1992, raised awareness has resulted in a significant fall in deaths from volatile substance abuse but, while the fact remains that one person in the UK still dies from VSA every week, increasing awareness of drug abuse through drug education is essential, whether young people receive this in the classroom or at home from their parents.”

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