|
Retailers
support campaign against solvent abuse
‘Solvent abuse can kill’ is
the message which local retailer outlets will be displaying
as part of a campaign
by the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA)
to raise awareness about the dangers of solvent abuse.
In Northern Ireland a total of 82 deaths have occurred from
volatile substance abuse (VSA) since 1971 with figures showing
five deaths in 2003. While there is no stereotypical solvent
abuser, young people remain the group most associated with
solvent misuse with many experimenting around 13 or 14 years
of age, if not earlier.
An information
pack Solvent abuse - a guide for retailers, which was first
produced by the HPA a few years ago, is being
reprinted and distributed again due to demand. The pack includes
a booklet entitled Solvent abuse - a guide for retailers,
which contains information about the legislation regarding
the issue of VSA, and a range of display materials to place
in store highlighting the law on the sale of solvents. Re-Solv,
a charity involved in tackling solvent abuse, will be distributing
the pack to local retailers.
Victoria Creasy,
Senior Manager for Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs with the
HPA said: “During the past two and a
half years we have been working closely with retailers and
Re-Solv to educate people about the risks of volatile substance
abuse and to support retailers in their efforts to refuse
to sell volatile substances to anyone under 18 or customers
of any age whom they suspect intend to misuse the substance.
“The continuing
demand for these packs highlights the success of this partnership
approach to tackling an issue
which can have a devastating impact on families and communities.”
Research shows
that the majority of solvent - related deaths occur as
a result of inhaling lighter fuel, and there is
an outright ban on the sale of these products to anyone under
18 years of age. Legislation also states that retailers must
not sell any product they think may be used by a young person
to get high; to do so will result in the retailer being fined £5,000
or up to six months imprisonment, or both. Retailers and
customers could therefore pay a high price if current legislation
is ignored.
Angeline McTier,
Northern Ireland Project Manager for Re-Solv, concluded: “Sniffing is a hidden issue overshadowed
by misuse of underage drinking, illegal drugs and smoking.
However, when we take into account the availability of abusable
products and the reported number of deaths from this activity ‘sniffing’ is
an issue society cannot afford to ignore.
“Parents
and young people need to be aware that unlike many other
drugs, sniffing has the very real potential of
killing on the first experiment and our youngest deaths have
been aged seven.”
The National Drugs Helpline 0800
77 66 00 can be contacted
for help and advice relating to solvents.
END
Notes
to the Editor:
Victoria Creasy will be available for interview on Tuesday
4 April between 10.30 - 11.30am. If you would like
to speak to Angeline McTier, Northern Ireland Project Manager,
Re-Solv NI, contact, Tel: 028 9070 2493.
The packs will be distributed to retailers throughout Northern
Ireland this month. Retailers can contact Re-Solv for a visit,
staff awareness talks, more literature, or to borrow a retailers'
video at, Tel: 028 90702493; Email: [email protected] or visit the website: www.re-solv.org.
Figures
taken from Trends in Death Associated with Abuse of Volatile
Substances
1971 - 2003, Division of Community
Health Sciences, St George’s University; London, 2003.
For further information contact:
Contact Jenny Dougan or Rosie McGaughey on 028 9031 1611. |
