Inhalants Are the Most Popular Drug for 12-Year-Olds

Inhalants are the most popular drug for twelve year olds, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration s (SAMHSA) most recent National Household Survey. The figures show that at age 12 more children are using inhalants than marijuana, psychotherapeutics, or hallucinogens. There were 56,000 teens 12-17 dependent on inhalants in 1999, and 2,118,000 intentionally huffing.

Children often believe that common household substances like glue, nail polish or gasoline are harmless. In reality, huffing can cause sudden sniffing death and there is no way to tell which child will succumb, or how many sniffing sessions it will take.

The eighth annual National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week is March 18-25, 2001. The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition is sponsoring this week-long campaign to raise awareness of the dangers, popularity and need for treatment for huffing, with support from SAMHSA s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. This year, this effort is being joined by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, other federal agencies, the U.S. Senate, and industry representatives.

Over two million teens use inhalants, said Dr. H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). Inhalants can cause brain, respiratory, liver, kidney and bone marrow damage as well as short-term memory loss and hearing impairment. Since inhalants are often the first substance of experimentation, those who do not suffer illness may go on to experiment with other drugs.

ONDCP Acting Director Edward H. Jurith noted that Parents must be constantly aware of their children s activities and behavior, and pay attention to signs of inhalants use, such as missing household items, soaked rags and chemical smells on clothing.

Senator Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced a Senate Resolution declaring the week of March 18-24, 2001 as National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week. He noted that Kids are our future. We must protect them through education.

Harvey Weiss, Executive Director, National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC), a non-profit corporation in Austin, Texas, said almost 700 inhalant deaths have been reported to NIPC since July, 1996. This is a silent epidemic. With the help of CSAT, ONDCP and other federal and industry partners, NIPC intends to forge a consensus of where we need to go to affect inhalant use.

More and more teens and young adults are using nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to get high, said Carl Johnson, President of the Compressed Gas Association. Recent deaths highlight the dangers of the recreational use of this product. This is why our association, along with the National Welding Supply Association, has developed model legislation that states can use to tighten their laws to enable local
jurisdictions to prevent the use of nitrous oxide as a recreational inhalant.

There are over a 1,000 products that can be misused, including butane, propane, gasoline, refrigerants, degreasers, typewriter correction fluid, nitrous oxide (whippets), whipping cream, spray paint, paint thinner, mail polish, computer cleaner, air freshener and cooking spray.

Using inhalants can cause sudden sniffing death from heart or lung failure, asphyxiation, paralysis of breathing mechanisms or accidental from intoxication. Long-term effects include: brain, respiratory, liver, kidney and bone marrow damage; short-term memory loss; and hearing impairment.

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