Drug Education News

The BBC have a story about Volatile Substance Abuse:

Doctors have warned teenagers about the dangers of sniffing mothballs after two teenagers fell ill through the habit.

An 18-year-old French girl had to be hospitalised when she developed scaly skin on her legs and hands, unsteadiness and mental sluggishness.

Medics were initially puzzled, especially as her twin sister displayed similar, but milder, symptoms.

But the New England Journal of Medicine reports that days later, it was found the mothballs were to blame.

The latest figures we have suggest that among 11 year olds, 4% had sniffed volatile substances in the last year while 1% had taken cannabis. Among 15 year olds, 7% reported using volatile substances compared to 27% who used cannabis. [source]