SNIFFING AGENTS

These cover a range of volatile substances like tri, ether and glue solutions. Breathing them in causes brief periods of intoxication which bear some resemblance to alcoholic intoxication, characterised by slurred speech, and disturbed balance and ataxia.

The risks are high because if the sniffer becomes unconscious, breathing from a plastic bag, for example may continue resulting in death. There is also a risk of damage to the liver and brain (Korsakoff).

Generally speaking, glue sniffing is only found among very young people between the ages of 10 and 17. However, its has been shown that if the phenomenon is given a lot of publicity, it can reach epidemic proportions.