HC Deb 21 July 2004 vol 424 cc367-8W
Mr. Gray

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to require further warnings on aerosol cans of the dangers of solvent abuse. [184586]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The Department has no immediate plans on placing further warnings on aerosol cans advising of the dangers of solvent abuse. Although voluntary, the British Aerosol Manufacturing Association estimates that approximately 90 per cent. of all cans carry warnings.

Mr. Gray

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met(a) Solv-It and (b) Re-Solv to discuss solvent abuse. [184588]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Yvette Cooper) met with ReSolv in November 2001 to discuss volatile solvent abuse. Departmental officials have continued to meet with Re-Solv.

Mr. Gray

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the health effects of solvent abuse. [184589]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Adverse effects vary greatly with the specific substance and mode of administration.

There is a wide range of immediate physical health effects reported including: flushed face and neck; cold sweats; loss of balance, unsteadiness, lack of coordination; fainting; headache; nausea and vomiting; confusion, dizziness, disorientation; tachycardia, palpitations; drowsiness, sedation, unconsciousness and risk of accidental injury while intoxicated.

There is a range of potential immediate psychological adverse effects reported including: confusional states, disorientation; distorted perceptions, delusions, hallucinations, pseudo-hallucinations, and aggression, agitation or fear.

A number of immediate socially significant adverse effects have been reported including: accidents (road traffic accidents, swimming accidents, fires, falls); disinhibition, possibly leading to engagement in high risk behaviour (dangerous driving, unsafe sexual practices), or the risk of becoming a victim of crime; acute intoxication that may possibly result in aggressive and violent behaviour, or disorderly conduct; relationship problems and impairment of educational achievements in adolescents.

Adverse effects of longer-term use that have been reported include: peripheral neurological damage and brain damage; renal failure; hepatotoxicity; severe gastrointestinal upset; muscle damage, and in the very long term, for example, 10 years or so, lasting impairment of brain function—affecting especially control of movement. Some of these effects may be reversible on stopping use.

Fatal toxicity varies greatly with the specific substance, and the causes of death can be unclear. A number of causes of death through solvent abuse have been described including: most commonly, cardiac arrhythmia or accident; loss of consciousness and death through choking on vomit; suffocation, for example, if a plastic bag is placed over the head to inhale and asphyxiation from blocked airways, (due to intense cooling in mouth) and laryngeal spasm caused by squirting lighter fuel down throat.

Combining use with alcohol and other central nervous system depressants will bring increased risk of asphyxiation and death.

Solitary use in potentially dangerous settings may increase risk of injury.