Fiona Robyn – Thaw – NEW BOOK
Fiona Robyn is an author living in rural Hampshire – this is her third book which has been recently released. But Fiona doesn’t just write books, she is a blogger too and we bloggers like to help each other don’t we? So below you will find a snippet of her latest book and the link to her site. Thaw is available from The Book Depository (with free worldwide delivery) or from Amazon and Snowbooks. From March 2010 you will be able to read this book online.
“Ruth is thirty two years old and doesn’t know if she wants to be thirty three. Her meticulously-ordered lonely life as a microbiologist is starved of pleasure and devoid of meaning. She decides to give herself three months to decide whether or not to end her life, and we read her daily diary as she struggles to make sense of her past and grapples with the pain of the present. ‘Thaw’ explores what makes any of our lives worth living. Can Red, the eccentric Russian artist Ruth commissions to paint her portrait, find a way to warm her frozen heart? “
A Parent’s Guide to Solvent Abuse
I recently attended a course at the local Children’s Centre on Solvent Abuse. Obviously not to learn how to do it, but to find out how to spot the signs if you suspect that your child might be partaking in this activity. Curly is of course only 8 and Baby Bean 19 mths now so I don’t suspect they are having anything to do with solvents but it COULD happen to ANY FAMILY, ANY CHILD! So my theory is better to know the signs too early than too late.
What follows below are the handouts which we were given on our course. It has been thoroughly researched so please take this seriously.
What is VSA?
VOLATILE SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Solvent Abuse is defined as:
The deliberate inhalation of a gas or fumes given off at room temperature from substances for its intoxicating effect.
Short Term Effects
· Depression of breathing
· Frequent headaches
· Mood swings
· Cardiac arrhythmia
· Anoxia – low oxygen in the blood levels
· Cerebral depressant
· Conjunctivitis
· Cough
· Hangover symptoms
Death can occur due to the following:
Heart Failure – This is when the heart becomes over sensitive to adrenaline and beats ineffectively. If the “sniffing” is followed by exertion or excitement, the heart can’t cope and stops. Some aerosol sprays freeze the organs, which can result in the lungs and airways producing fluids – this carries serious additional risks.
Choking – There is also a risk of choking on vomit, caused when the body is trying to get rid of unwanted substances. However, if someone is unconscious after inhaling a solvent, the person’s airways are likely to become blocked, which could suffocate him or her to death.
Accidents – fatal or serious – Accidents can occur when someone is “high” or hallucinating. A user may imagine that he or she can jump from great heights, or stop a speeding train. Someone inhaling alone could drown if falling into water. Many deaths result from suffocation because the solvents are inhaled from plastic bags. There is also the risk of burns, as many of these products are highly flammable and can explode.
Recent History
Late 1940’s First known outbreak of Gasoline sniffing in the USA
1950’s Reports of deliberate inhalation of Gasoline fumes in the USA, Australia, India and UK
1968 29 countries passed Anti Glue sniffing legislation
1970’s Punk era – solvents widely used
1983 Statistics were not collected until now in any uniform way
2005 Statistics suggest no reported change in the amount of solvent related deaths over the past 20 years
Young people who have been offered individual drugs, by age
| Type of Drug | 11 Years | 12 Years | 13 Years | 14 Years | 15 Years |
| Total Cannabis | 4% | 8% | 19% | 37% | 52% |
| Ecstasy | 1% | 2% | 5% | 10% | 17% |
| Heroin | 1% | 3% | 6% | 7% | 9% |
| Cocaine | 2% | 4% | 7% | 10% | 16% |
| Amphetamines | 1% | 2% | 4% | 10% | 16% |
| Volatile Substances | 7% | 9% | 15% | 19% | 21% |
Figures from a Dept of Health Research Document March 04 (10,000 pupils – 313 schools
Methods of Solvent Abuse Are Known As
Sniffing or Snorting – breathing in a substance directly from its container
Huffing – placing a rag soaked in the substance over the nose and mouth and inhaling. For example, a scarf worn around the neck, socks, towels, ties, toilet rolls, clothing.
Bagging – pouring the substance into a plastic bag/bottle and breathing in the fumes
Why use VSA?
· Solvents unlike other drugs are legal
· Aren’t physically addictive
· Thrills and pleasure
· Large surface areas of the lungs means the effects reach the brain faster
· Experimentation
· Peer pressure/influence
· Medicinal
· Depression
· Accessibility
· Boredom
· To shock
· Not seen as a drug
· Casual use
· Away from the family
· On holiday
· It’s free/cheap
· Trauma
· At a party
· To be different
· With family members
· To be the same
· Social activity
· Relationship to drug abuse
· Nothing else
· No drugs available
· The effects/toxicity
· Dangers unknown
Immediate Effects of Solvent Abuse
· Runny eyes & nose · Spots/sores around the mouth
· Smelly breath
· Blackout
· Difficulties breathing
· Feeling sick
· Chronic headache
· Euphoria
· Blurred Vision
· Inhibitions lowered
· Numbness
· Accidents · Vagus nerve damage (Vaso-Vagal)
· Hallucinations
· Drowsy
· Light headed
· Acting drunk/drunkenness
· Buzzing in the ears
· High
· Clumsy/uncoordinated
· Death
Hallucination
Hallucinations are abnormal sensory perceptions that occur whilst a person is awake and conscious. Some common hallucinations are hearing voices when no one has spoken, seeing patterns, lights, beings or objects that aren’t there, or feeling a crawling sensation on the skin. Hallucinations related to smell or taste are rare.
Withdrawal
Tolerance to a substance may develop but psychological and physical withdrawal symptoms have only been found in a few cases. Withdrawal symptoms may include:
· Lack of sleep
· Stomach cramps
· Irritability
· Facial “ticks”
· May take weeks to occur or subside
Long Term Damage
Volatile substances are absorbed by the fatty tissue and certain products if used everyday can damage:
· The brain
· Optic nerve
· Nervous system (peripheral)
· Liver
· Kidney
· Lungs
· Testicles
· Hearing
· Mental health
Some signs and symptoms of VSA use are:
· A chemical smell on clothing, hair and breath;
· Empty or damaged butane gas, aerosol or glue containers
(look for teeth marks on nozzles, towels with white marks on, bags containing glue etc);
· Disappearance of aerosols, glues etc from around the home;
· “drunken” behaviour, such as lack of co-ordination and coherence;
· Changes in sleep patterns;
· Changes in appetite;
· Changes in behaviour, e.g. tiredness, irritability, aggressiveness, mood swings;
· Changes in school performance;
· Changes in health, e.g. headaches, tummy aches, conjunctivitis, coughs.
Products Used
| · Aerosols/air fresheners
· Dry cleaning agents · Paints, lacquers · Thinners and removers · Pain relief spray · Petrol · Halon (BCF) fire extinguishers · Some type writer correction fluids · Solvent based adhesives · Hair spray |
· Nail varnish and nail varnish remover
· Paint thinners · Butane gas cigarette lighters refills · Degreasing products · Antithetic gases · Liquid Petroleum gas (LPG) · Toluene · Deodorant aerosols · Some shoe and metal polish |
It is difficult to list them all but in the average household there are up to thirty products. These can be defined by four main groups:
· Solvents
· Aerosols
· Anaesthetics
· Nitrates
Warning signs on products help you spot the dangerous ones
Pressurised Gases
Most aerosols and all forms of liquefied petroleum gas will carry some form of warning such as “Flammable”, “Do not puncture or incinerate” , “Do not use near fire or flame, etc”.
Flammable Liquids
Usually forms of liquids in metal containers or bottles all will bear highly flammable and in the UK must display a Black Flame on an Orange Background.
Non Flammable Substances
May not be flammable but hints can be gained from the products themselves. Look out for the following chemicals:-
· Trichloroethylene
· Dichloromethane
· Tetrachloroethylene
The Law
Volatile Substance Misuse is not illegal
The Intoxicating Substances Supply Act of England and Wales makes it an offence to supply any product to anyone under the age of 18.
Supplying anyone if it is believe or known that the product is being used to get high the penalty is a £5,000 fine and six months in prison.
Help and Advice
· Local GP
· Buzzz: 07734 277077 07734 277077 or freephone 0808 131 0787 0808 131 0787
· Frank Re-solv National Freephone Helpline – 0808 800 2345 0808 800 2345 and http://www.sniffing.org.uk/
· Email: help-line@re-solv.org
Not so much “down the hatch” as “through it” . . .
I’ve always known that Baby Bean was a determined little tike and that I would have my hands full. Even when she was still a moving bump in my tummy we used to have our battles. She would stick her knee or elbow out of my sides and I would gently push back, did she give in? Did she heck, she’d just do it again twice as hard!
But getting back to it – last week Baby Bean went to her Nanny & Grandad’s for her “special time” with them and as usual when she got hungry she took Nanny to her highchair and tapped it to say that she was hungry. Nanny sat her in her chair and offered her some tea but by this time something else had caught her eye. From the heightened position of her high chair she was able to get a good view of the birthday cake which was waiting for her Auntie Em who was due around later. Nanny told Baby Bean that she couldn’t have any cake just yet but she wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer. Since she totally refused her tea, Nanny got her down and told her to come back into the lounge but she wouldn’t! Very stubborn is Baby Bean (just like her Mummy!). After requesting a few times, Nanny gave up and turned the lights off in the kitchen – but again this didn’t bother Baby Bean, next Nanny tried closing the door and saying bye bye – but still it didn’t bother her. After a minute Nanny opened the door again to see Baby Bean trying to reach up to the worktop to get to the cake. “Little tinker” thought Nanny (or words to that effect!). So Nanny removed Baby Bean from the kitchen and took her back into the lounge to play but after a few minutes, Baby Bean picked herself up and made her way through to the dining room where she promptly climbed up onto the footstool and tried to climb through the serving hatch into the kitchen to the awaiting birthday cake!
You’ve got to admire her really, she sees what she wants and she goes for it, but I think I’m going to need eyes in the back of my head with this one!
And the really funny thing about this little tale, when offered birthday cake later in the evening – she said “NO!”.
When the internet goes wrong!
For years we have used a very reputable company for our TV, phone and internet packages and have been provided with very good service – I guess the only thing we weren’t happy with was the price. With times as they are and everyone trying to tighten their belts we have done as most people have and shopped around for new providers for everything from gas and electric, to insurance and our phone and broadband. We have found prices that we are happy with and yes, we have saved ourselves a few pennies each month. BUT sometimes you really do get what you pay for! And regret it! We have moved our internet etc to a very much advertised company at the moment and very annoyingly got stuck in a 2 year!!! contract which we really want out of. The phone is fine but the internet is RUBBISH!!!!! In order to even put a simple blog post on my site I’m having to type it in Word and then copy/paste it into my blog otherwise it only updates one letter every 10 seconds or so and that’s IF we even have connection to the internet. The rest of the time it takes a good 10 minutes to load up a site and then crashes. Now if I just trying to use Facebook or something I wouldn’t mind, but I’m a work from home mummy and this is really NOT good!
So what is the moral of my little blog post? By all means, shop around for the best deals but DO your research and check up on customer service, see what other people think and don’t just jump straight in with both feet like I did. Sometimes it doesn’t always pay to just go for the cheapest option.
A parent’s guide to solvent abuse!
I recently attended a course at the local Children’s Centre on Solvent Abuse. Obviously not to learn how to do it, but to find out how to spot the signs if you suspect that your child might be partaking in this activity. Curly is of course only 8 and Baby Bean 19 mths now so I don’t suspect they are having anything to do with solvents but it COULD happen to ANY FAMILY, ANY CHILD! So my theory is better to know the signs too early than too late.
To see the whole article check out the Parent Knowledge section of my sight. You may learn something new and important – you may not!
