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Tackling volatile substance abuse in Scotland
a training course for the social care workforce

Course content: Substance recognition

Which products can be abused?

‘I bet I could find something in this room’

Quote from a young person looked after in a residential home

The chemicals that have the potential for abuse include those which are organic solvents and are highly volatile at room temperature, the most common being toluene. Some chemicals which are gases at room temperature can also be abused, the most common being butane.

These are used in different ways in different products and it is almost impossible to draw up a definitive list of the full range of products that can be abused. Many of these products are common everyday items and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)1 comment that the widespread availability of abusable products may do much to explain their continued popularity. It is estimated that in the average home, there are around thirty products with the potential for abuse. We do know which products have resulted in deaths. Those currently most commonly associated with death include:

Sniffing den

Sniffing den with multiple used butane gas canisters

Some products have changed formulations in order to reduce their potential for abuse. Changes in formulation are largely due to the effect of these chemicals on the environment and in response to the Montreal Protocol. The main products in this category include:

* see Products associated with VSA for more information.

The following products are from an industrial or work context and they are relatively inaccessible for young people. All have resulted in deaths, but in much lower numbers.

Other products frequently reported:

Other products that cause confusion and concern include:


  1. The Home Office (2007) British Crime Survey <http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/bcs1.html> viewed November 15 2007.

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