Volatile Substance Abuse Mortality Study

Our latest report, Number 20 is available in the Reports section.

We have been monitoring deaths associated with the abuse of volatile substances since the early 1980s, and have some data from as far back as 1971 although the data collection methods were not stabilised until 1983. The study was started when it was realised that there was significant under reporting of deaths related to VSA.

We define VSA as the deliberate abuse of a volatile substance to achieve a change in mental state. We define a VSA death as one which would not have occurred if the deceased had not been abusing a volatile substance.

We produce an annual report "Trends in Death Associated with the Abuse of Volatile Substances" which is published in June.

The study is based in the Department of Community Health Sciences at St George's, University of London and is funded by the Department of Health.