VietNamNet Bridge – Police of Quang Ngai Province and Da Nang city in central Vietnam have recently detected and apprehended some teens who sniff chemical glues as a drug.

These people said that they sniffed the glue, which is called “Keo cho”, to forget sadness. They grouped up to buy a glue can worth only VND20,000 ($1) to sniff together. One can is enough for sniffing for one hour. They said that sniffing keo cho is now a trend among youngsters.

A teen said that he knew about keo cho through his friends, who said that sniffing keo cho would help overcome sadness so he tried. “At first I was in a whirl and the feeling was very uncomfortable. But after that I felt like floating on clouds and I didn’t remember anything. I became more and more familiar with keo cho. I feel uncomfortable when I don’t sniff it,” he said.

After sniffing, people exhibit symptoms like drug addicts but keo cho sniffers look like psychos because they talk trifles and act without consciousness.

Most of sniffers range from 14-15 years old and they often sniff keo cho in groups in parks.

Keo cho is a kind of industrial glue used to stick shoes, water pipes, timber, etc. This product contains chemicals which are very toxic for human beings - Methylene Chloride, Ethyl acetate, Toluen and Cyclohexane.

It is difficult for police to deal with sniffers because keo cho is not a banned product in Vietnam and there are no rules on sniffing keo cho.

Trang Anh