• Advice
• Business
• Community
• Your council
• Environment
• Events
• Leisure and culture
• Jobs
• Do it online

• Health and wellbeing
• Our role
• Belfast Health Development Unit
• Volatile substance abuse
• Alcohol awareness
• Healthy lunchboxes
• Safety in the sun
• Improve your lifestyle
• Migrant health and wellbeing
• Contact information

• Projects
• Smoke-free Belfast
• Choose n Move
• Healthy Families

• Facilities and activities
• Leisure centres
• Parks
• Sport and recreation facilities

• Related links
• Environmental health
• Food and Drink Federation
• Food Standards Agency
• Food Safety Authority of Ireland
• Public Health Agency
• Wellnet NI
• Belfast Health and Social Trust

Volatile substance abuse

Volatile substance abuse or 'sniffing' is when someone inhales solvents and volatile substances through the mouth or nose to get ‘high’.

Volatile substance (or 'solvent') abuse is a serious problem in Northern Ireland. Between 1998 and 2007 there were 33 deaths within Northern Ireland alone.

One of the biggest problems associated with this type of drug abuse is the availability of volatile substances, which makes it easier for young people to experiment.

Types of solvents

Even in your home, there are over 30 products that can be abused, including:

• deodorant
• hairspray
• cigarette lighter refills
• air freshener
• glue
• nail varnish remover, and
• petrol.

In the long term, misusing these products can damage the brain, nervous system, lungs and other major internal organs.

But there is a very real risk of death on the first experiment. This can happen for lots of reasons, including heart failure, suffocation or fatal accidents when ‘high’.

Solvent abuse - know the signs

Signs of ‘sniffing’ can be difficult to identify from normal adolescent behaviour. But look out for the following signs:

• disappearance of aerosols and glues from around the home
• ‘drunken’ behaviour
• a chemical smell on their clothing, hair or breath
• dilated pupils, pale complexion, red, puffy, watery eyes
• persistent runny nose; rashes or spots around the nose and mouth (only occurs with certain products)
• nausea or vomiting
• mood swings or changes in attitude, or
• altered sleep patterns and changes in appetite.

Please remember that any of the signs and symptoms listed above could be due to other reasons.

Other useful resources

If you are concerned that someone you know is abusing solvents, there are a number of organisations that offer guidance and advice. We have listed some of these below:

• Re-solv


• FASA (Forum For Action On Substance Abuse)


• Talk to Frank