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Issue No.8 Spring 2002
Help is Available
By Angeline McTier. Project Manager
Re-Solv (NI)
"If you think sniffing gas is fun, well that¹s what killed my son. Just a
few sniffs from a can took his life before a man"
Poignant words penned by a mother who lost her son needlessly. What price for a
child¹s life - in this case just about £1.00 for a can of butane cigarette
lighter fuel.
Over the last ten years there have been significant falls in the number of
deaths associated with young people sniffing aerosols and glues in the United
Kingdom but the number of deaths from sniffing BUTANE LIGHTER REFILLS has
remained steady and is associated with 53% of all sniffing deaths in 1999
The cans are usually sprayed directly into the mouth. The spray on leaving the
can is extremely cold. It can freeze a nerve in the back of the throat resulting
in vagal inhibition, this leads to heart failure. The effect of the butane in
the bloodstream makes the heart sensitive to adrenaline. If the young person,
after sniffing solvents, becomes excited or frightened this can result in
arrhythmia, irregular heart rhythms. In either case the individual will need
urgent medical attention and cardiac defibrillation to have any chance of
survival.
In Re-Solv¹s Police Briefing Sheet we advise the authorities - do not chase
solvent sniffers - The direct toxic effect of some substances leads to heart
failure following exercise.
Our figures show that deaths due to gases, aerosols, glues and similar
substances account for one in sixty of all deaths among teenagers between the
ages of 15 to 19 and that sniffing deaths continue to be much more common among
boys than girls. In Northern Ireland 6 young people died from sniffing in 1999,
double that recorded for l998, the youngest being eleven.
Re-Solv acts as a secretariat to an All Party Group of MP¹s in Westminster.
It¹s campaigning contributed towards the enactment of the Cigarette Lighter
Refill (Safety) Regulation banning the sale of Cigarette Lighter Refills to
young people under the age of 18. This legislation came into force on the 1st
October 1999.
John Ramsey, from St George¹s Hospital Medical School said ³The large number
of deaths among young people using butane lighter refills is a serious cause for
concern we hope to find fewer deaths in future years, following the
implementation of this legislation²
In Northern Ireland Re-Solv are actively involved with Community Groups and
Environmental Health Officers in various Councils in an effort to bring the
above legislation to the attention of Retailers and make them more aware of
their responsibilities with regard to the sale of all aerosols. An information
video ³Loaded Gun² is available for Retailers.
A study was conducted in 1999 amongst 15-16 year olds and showed that
approximately 4 in every 10 boys and 1 in every 10 girls has used drugs at some
time, usually cannabis or inhalants. The use of inhalants was more commonplace
here in Northern Ireland than in Great Britain ³Patrick Millar & Martin
Plant² (Drinking Smoking and Illicit Drug Use)
Almost all aerosols have the potential to be sniffed. There are over 30 abusable
products in one¹s own home and the product, whether it is deodorant, fly
killer, oven cleaner, air freshener, spray paints etc., are expelled from the
can by a propellant. As a result of their effect on greenhouse gases, CFCs have
been replaced with Butane Gas and now this propellant is used in almost all
aerosols. Both CFC¹s and Butane are potentially abusable. The abuse of aerosols
is often associated with rags or tissue paper used as a filter. Sometimes they
are sprayed into a plastic bag where the product separates out from the
propellant. Plastic bags are associated with glues and contact adhesives and a
large number of deaths result from trauma, such as hanging, drowning or
suffocation.
The effects of aerosol inhalation are rapid intoxication, perhaps within 30
seconds. Although much more rapid, the sequence of intoxication is similar to
alcohol intoxication, starting with a dulling of inhibitions, disorientation and
dizziness, nausea and vomiting and can result in death. Frequently young people
report hallucinations or altered perceptions, like a belief they can fly.
Inhalant vapours often contain more than one chemical. Some leave the body
quickly but others are absorbed by fatty tissues in the brain and nervous
system. They can stay there for a long time. One of these fatty tissues is
myelin – a protective cover that surrounds many of the body¹s nerve cells
(neurons). Nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord are essential in relaying
messages that control just about all our bodily functions. Research has shown
that over the long term, chemicals can break down this protective cover
resulting in the nerve cells not being able to function properly. ³Mind Over
Matter – National Institute on Drug Abuse – National Institute of Health² .
Re-Solv staff will be glad to visit any organisation, school, parents¹
meetings, church or work environment, to talk about the dangers associated with
solvent and volatile substance abuse and distribute our preventative materials.
We will be glad to hear from anyone who can help Re-Solv in their work or who
wish to share their thoughts with us.
Please contact Angeline or Gillian at
Graham House,
Knockbracken Healthcare Park,
Saintfield Road,
Belfast BT8 8BH. 02890 702493 or Freephone 0808 800 2345 or visit our website
www.re-solv.org
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