“Huffing”, “Sniffing”, “Chroming” are safe words describing the very unsafe practice of volatile substance use. It’s a practice that can sometimes attract curious teenagers, and can also hook vulnerable individuals. Volatile Substance Abuse (VSA) received the attention of the Wellington Coroner, who held an inquest into the deaths of six people from inhaling gas. The Coroner ignored the best evidence when he called for a public campaign against VSA. Tackling VSA requires a subtle approach – there’s some good evidence about involving retailers to influence the sale of products which may be misused.

The Drug Foundation has developed a voluntary retailer’s code – called Volatile Substances: A Guide for Retailers – which is aimed at supporting retailers with practical guidelines on dealing with this complex issue. The web based guidelines give retailer’s a range of tools and materials to help minimise the risks to young people from VSA. The guidelines invite the voluntary involvement of responsible retailers and are focused on health, rather than a punitive response, which is reflected in the tag line Good for your Business. Good for your community. Engagement and support from community workers is key and will help sell a responsible message to retailers