Benzene is (as far as I know in Holland) stricktly regulated. The amounts chemical suppliers have are 1 ml - 5 ml , this can only be ordered if the chemist has a certain papers proving he can safely working with it.
Benzene was used a lot in organic chemistry a few decades back as an solvent but was later found out highly carcinogen. Toluene has taken over the role of benzene of solvent in a lot of reactions and it found te be only a bit less selective as benzene.
Toluene is widely available in many different grades, also in hardware stores its sold, but mostly as an mixture so be carefull with using these low grade solvents.
Can't amagine that benzene is still sold in drugstores, but I only know this for Holland but imagine that its true for hole europe.
When I used to work in the lab I found out that a lot of substance that are restricted or suspected to be carcinogen in the US , did not have these restrictions in the EU. US has a different system and decides there own rules with these kind of things.
