Solvents and schoolchildren - knowledge and experimentation among a group of young people aged 11 to 18

Abstract

THE aim of the research project was to discover the prevalence of volatile substance abuse, commonly known as glue-sniffing, in one health district in the north west of England. The sample size was 1729 from nine out of a total of 12 of the district's com prehensive schools, plus one single-sex, fee-paying school. Of the total sample, six per cent had experi mented with a solvent, glue being the most popular substance. The experimentation rate varied con siderably according to the year, the first year show ing a one per cent rate, rising by four per cent each year, and peaking in the fourth year at 12 per cent.