Sniffing or breathing solvents or glue kills

Solvent abuse kills around 70 young people every year.
70% of people who died last year were aged between 9 and 19.
Solvent abuse is very dangerous and the effects are unpredictable. It can be fatal first time round.
39% of victims died sniffing solvents for the first time.
It is very dangerous to drink alcohol and sniff solvents together. Remember, sniffing or spraying gas into the mouth can kill you instantly.
Sniffing harmful substances kills your brain cells and if sniffed everyday over many years can even shrink your brain. This can affect your ability to perform everyday activities like walking talking and thinking.
Long term abuse can also cause damage to the liver and kidneys.

What are solvents?

• Glue, aerosols, petrol, cigarette lighter refills and cleaning products are all types of solvents.
• Look out for the warning sign on their packaging.
• Sniffing them can make you feel thick headed, dizzy and can cause you to hallucinate.
• It can also give you headaches, make you feel unwell or kill you instantly.
• Solvent abuse can also have an effect on your looks. Sniffing glue and butane gas gives you spots and bad breath.
• It is illegal for shop - keepers to sell solvents to people aged under 18 - or to people acting for them - or if they suspect the product is intended for abuse.

What could happen?

Heart failure
Sniffing can make your heart beat in an irregular rhythm.  If you then become excited, frightened or even run, your heart can not cope and stops working.

Choking
Sniffing can make you violently sick.  If you were to vomit while you were unconscious or drowsy, you could choke to death on your own sick.

Fatal accidents
Sniffing can make you hallucinate or act silly and may make you take risks in dangerous places. It might lead to a serious accident, cause you to fall from a high building, drown or be knocked down by a car.

Explosions
Solvents and aerosols are usually very flammable and if they are used around naked flames, they can explode and set you on fire.