solvent abuse

A bereaved mum who warns youngsters about her son's death from solvent abuse said she was "in tears" of relief after laughing gas was banned.

Most aerosol deodorants also have a warning that says "solvent abuse can kill instantly".

He was a loner who lived with his parents, spent much of his time playing computer games, and had problems with alcohol and solvent abuse.

Others sought solace in the cheap, hunger-suppressing fix of solvent abuse: boys inhaled glue from plastic containers clutched to their nostrils, girls in their early teens shared theirs with infants strapped to their backs.

Indigenous people are over-represented among the ranks of the homeless and addicted; solvent abuse is as common as alcoholism in this downtown district.