Evidence that solvents contribute to more deaths in the under 20s than any other drug. An ongoing study of UK deaths associated with the abuse of volatile substances (VSA) has used consistent recording methods since 1983. Over that period the number of such deaths increased from 82 to 134 and in some under ’20s age groups the rates of death more than doubled. From accounting for less than 40 per cent of VSA deaths in 1983, aerosols were involved in nearly three quarters of the deaths in 1988.
Dangerous games: UK solvent deaths 1983 – 88 (PDF)
Additional keywords: volatile substances