This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Solvent awareness campaign
02/09/2003
A campaign aimed at raising awareness among shop staff in Fife of the law around the sale of butane gas lighter refills to children has been launched today.
Volatile Substance Abuse (VSA) - inhaling butane gas, usually from cigarette lighter refills or aerosol sprays - was a factor in the deaths of nine people in Scotland in 2001. It is against the law to sell butane gas lighter refills to anyone under the age of 18.
At the launch of materials drawn up by the Executive and partners which explain the legal situation and describe the risks, Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said:
"The Executive is committed to tackling the ongoing problem of solvent abuse in Scotland. Although the number of deaths each year has remained relatively steady, even one death is one too many.
"It is vital to raise public awareness of the dangers of abusing products such as cigarette lighter refills and aerosol sprays. We must persuade people, particularly youngsters who may not fully appreciate the risks involved, that there is no safe way to sniff or inhale volatile substances. There are no safe kicks with solvents. But we must also crack down on the supply of these products to young people.
"So I am pleased to announce this important initiative here in Fife. Aiming the campaign at shop owners should not be seen as implicit criticism of the retail trade - the vast majority of shop staff act responsibly and within the law when it comes to selling age-restricted goods.
"However there is anecdotal evidence that there is a level of genuine ignorance of the legislation which makes it an offence to sell butane gas lighter refills to under 18s. This campaign goes a long way to changing that and stopping volatile substances from getting into the hands of our young people."
He concluded:
"If the leaflets, posters and window stickers that we've helped produce make a positive difference in Fife, then we will look to roll out this initiative across Scotland. And Fife is leading the way in mounting a pilot initiative to consider how best to use information gathered through a test-purchase scheme for solvents.
"Fife Council, ReSolv, and the Scottish Drugs Forum are to be congratulated for their joint efforts in tackling the problems of volatile substance abuse. We will continue to support those who seek to deliver a safer, stronger Scotland."
The Executive has worked in partnership with key partners such as ReSolv, Fife Council's Trading Standards Department and the Scottish Drugs Forum, to produce the materials which underpin this campaign. The Scottish Retail Consortium fully supports the initiative.
The campaign is also supported by John O'Brien who lost his son Lee through volatile substance abuse. He established the Lee O'Brien Solvent Trust to help tackle the problem.
Fife Council is introducing a test-purchase scheme for solvents which involves identifying traders prepared to sell age-restricted products to children. Although such evidence would not be admissible in court, it will provide valuable intelligence for trading standards officers.
The Executive will also shortly be issuing an information booklet under the Know the Score campaign, which will highlight the risks from VSA. VSA will also be covered in new advice for parents on the risks from drugs.
The Fife campaign will be independently evaluated with the possibility that the materials will be rolled out nationally.
The number of deaths in Scotland associated with volatile substance abuse has been averaging around eight or nine a year for the last few years.