What is Glue Abuse? The World Health Organization refers to ‘Substance Abuse’ as the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. The use of these can lead to ‘dependence syndrome’ where the repeated use of a substance enforces a strong desire to: take the substance, develop difficulties in controlling its use and urge the user of the drug to persist despite the harmful consequences. The user of the drug can begin to make taking the substance a more important priority than their normal activities and obligations.
Drugs like heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and opioids have been the focal-points of addiction issues along with alcohol and gambling in many countries; but for homeless youth and street children around the world, the most typically abused drugs have been off the mainstream media’s radar. A major group of substances abused are ‘inhalant solvent-based contact adhesives’, typically known as inhaled substances and glues, especially those containing the chemical toluene. These substances are also part of the category ‘volatile substances’ because they have vapours and gases.