Inhalant use has become a silent epidemic in nation and state

    Inhalant use has become a silent epidemic. Why? Parents are out of the loop about inhalant use. Children discuss it and practice it; adults stay in the dark. A study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission showed that 95 percent of parents believe their child has never abused inhalants. Yet almost 1 in 5 eighth-graders has intentionally inhaled everyday office, school and household products at the risk of brain damage and even death, reports the 2006 National Institute on Drug Abuse “Monitoring the Future Survey.” Inhalant abuse, most common in the 10-12 age bracket, is also considered a “gateway drug” — a student’s first from of substance abuse before “graduating” to other drugs.
    Inhalants are as close as the kitchen sink or your child’s classroom. Abusable products include: butane, propane, gasoline, freon, degreasers, correction fluid, nitrous oxide, whipped cream, shoe polish, spray paint, toluene, pain thinner, chloroform, computer duster, air fresheners, and cooking sprays. Young people in the 12-17 age group most commonly use glue or toluene, followed by gasoline, lighter fluid and aerosol sprays. Young adults in the 18-25 age bracket most commonly use nitrous oxide or “whippets.”
    What youth and adults do not realize is that using any inhalant is like playing Russian Roulette: experimenters can die the first, 10th or even 100th time they use. The effects of inhalant use include brain, respiratory, liver and kidney damage, short-term memory loss and hearing impairment. Signs of inhalant abuse include: paint on hands, mouth or nose; chemical breath odor; red or runny eyes or nose; spots or sores around the mouth; drunk or dazed appearance; anxiety, excitability, irritability; nausea, loss of appetite; and chemically soaked rags, socks or bags.
    What can you do: Parents and adults can educate their children about inhalants before they educate themselves. ASAP is currently implementing a media campaign about inhalant abuse to educate parents about this deadly practice. You can learn about this problem by visiting www.inhalant.org.
    The article was brought to you by Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention. For more information about ASAP and its prevention efforts contact Clare Desrosiers, project director at 521-2408.