Epidemiology of Inhalant Abuse - Archives - National Institute on ...

Children ages 14-16 “should have opportunities to consider the
effects <strong>of</strong> solvents, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs on the way the
human body functions.”
On a different level, organizations such as The Advisory Council on
Alcohol and Drug Education produce training material for use in both
primary and secondary schools. The package, “Skills for the Primary
School Child” (The Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drug Education
1991), for example, deals with avoiding drug and other substance misuse,
as well as more general health education topics such as personal
development, bullying, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
In 1984, the BAMA founded Re-Solv (Liss 1989), which now is an
independent national charity with over 290 members from trade
organizations, manufacturers, local and health authorities, voluntary
organizations, general medical practices, and individuals. It produces
public information packs in English and in various Asian languages and
Welsh; videos; information packs for pr<strong>of</strong>essionals; leaflets; and training
material for retailer education. Retail staff are made aware that some <strong>of</strong>
the products they sell can be misused and are advised on how to say no to
suspicious prospective purchasers. Counter staff are advised to look out
for suspicious purchasing patterns, intoxicated customers, and
simultaneous purchases <strong>of</strong> glue and plastic bags. Re-Solv also produces
materials advising retailers <strong>of</strong> their obligations under the law. However,
Esmail and colleagues (1992) examined the effects <strong>of</strong> these and other
attempts at prevention and suggested that the result may have been to
make access to solvent-based glues considerably more difficult, with little
effect on the availability <strong>of</strong> the other products.
INDUSTRY RESPONSE
Industry is able to modify abusable products but only does so when it
finds it expedient. For example, one European producer <strong>of</strong> correction
fluid developed a solvent-free product when local bans on solventcontaining
products threatened its share in the lucrative school market. A
water-based product was initially marketed but it dried very slowly.
Eventually, a satisfactory replacement with low abuse potential was
produced. In contrast, the response <strong>of</strong> the cigarette lighter refill
manufacturers, when a ban <strong>of</strong> their product was mooted, was to claim that
it was pointless for them to do anything (Esmail et al. 1992). They
claimed that, even if they were successful in deterring youngsters from
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