Volatile substance abuse: a brief report

Volatile substance abuse (VSA) is on the increase: the practice is widespread among young people and concern has often been expressed about its potential dangers. It is estimated that in the United Kingdom between 3.5-10% of current adolescents have at least experimented with solvents, and up to 1% of the secondary school population are currently abusers. Adequate assessment of each individual case is essential as this will lead to appropriate therapeutic interventions and rational management of associated problems.