Media Information
BAMA VSA WORK RECOGNISED THROUGH SOCIAL INITIATIVE AWARD AT THE TRADE ASSOCIATION FORUM BEST PRACTICE AWARDS 2008
31/07/2008
The British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (BAMA) has won the ‘Social Initiative Award’ for its campaign to prevent Volatile Substance Abuse (VSA), awarded by the Trade Association Forum*, which promotes best practice within trade associations.
The judges commented that they were looking for an outstanding social initiative and found it in BAMA’s VSA Campaign which was “a good example of a trade association breathing new life into the fight against a problem that can never be eliminated and needs constant and continuous attention”. The judges were impressed “by the depth and seriousness of the campaign, the evidence of success and the endorsements from concerned observers.”
Volatile Substance Abuse (VSA) is widespread, research shows that one in eight teenagers experiments in this area and it is often a gateway to drug abuse. Whilst aerosols are only one of the household products which can be abused (and not the chief cause of deaths) the Association decided to take a high profile approach to the problem. The VSA campaign in which BAMA’s role has been acknowledged, has helped reduce the number of people suffering VSA-related deaths from three a week in Britain in the 1990s to just under one per week in 2006 **(the latest figure available taken from a report released on the 30.7.08 by the Division of Community Health Sciences at St George’s University of London).
The Association was instrumental in persuading the UK aerosol industry to add a stark warning to its canisters: “Solvent abuse can kill instantly”. BAMA has also distributed leaflets to member companies, produced an awareness poster for retailers and young people’s organisations, provided part-funding for a primary school pack as well as a discussion package for youth counsellors.
Sue Rogers, director of BAMA, says: “We continue to work just as hard on the issue now as we did in the 90s, as this type of behaviour goes in waves and is passed by word of mouth among groups of youngsters, so continuous education is vital. VSA causes misery to families of otherwise healthy young people some of whom die instantly from sudden sniffing syndrome or become long term abusers. In some age groups even now, more young people die from VSA than pneumonia, leukaemia and drowning put together.
“We continue to work closely with experts from the voluntary sector as well as the Government to find a solution and share expertise. BAMA is an active member of the Government’s VSA Stakeholder Group set up in 2005 and is also involved in the work of charities such as Re-Solv and SOLVE IT. Although the Association received the award, this recognition is very much a tribute to the support and enlightened approach of the many BAMA members who have worked with us on this difficult issue with real passion and commitment.”
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Note to Editors
Pictured left to right: Colin Butler, Chairman of the BAMA VSA Committee, Sue Rogers, Director of BAMA, Nigel Jackson, BAMA Chairman and Michelle Grady, BAMA Marketing and Communications Manager.
*The Trade Association Forum is a membership organisation founded in 1997
with support from the CBI and the (then) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
**For a full copy of the report compiled by St George’s, University of London, entitled ‘Trends in Death Associated with Abuse of Volatile Substances 1971-2006 contact Mary Field-Smith Tel: 020 8725 0843 or e-mail m.field-smith@sgul.ac.uk. The report is also available on the internet at http://www.vsareport.org/
For further press information please contact:
Gill Shaffer or Jo Jacobius
Axiom Communications
020 8347 8206
e-mail: gill@axiom-uk.com or jo@axiom-uk.com
Website: www.bama.co.uk