Inhalants a deadly mix for youth searching for high

***image1***One out of every five teens in America has used inhalants to get high − and the use is no longer limited to teens. Young adults who began use as teens may turn to inhalants if other drugs are not available.  

The national Poison Prevention Organization is sponsoring National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week Sunday to March 22.

Inhalants are cheap, legal and accessible products and are as popular among middle-school students as is marijuana. Even fewer know the deadly effects the poisons in these products have on the brain and body when they are inhaled, which is otherwise known as huffing, sniffing or bagging.  

It’s like playing Russian roulette. The user can die the first, 10th or 100th time a product is misused as an inhalant. Chronic inhalant users can suffer severe and permanent brain damage. Other possible risks include intoxication, hearing loss, bone marrow damage, short-term memory loss, limb spasms and liver and kidney damage.

Products abused as inhalants

Adhesives: model airplane glue, rubber cemment or glue
Aerosols: spray paint, hairspray, air freshener, deoderant, fabric protector or computer keyboard cleaner
Solvents and gases: nail polish remover, paint thinner, toxic markers, cigar lighter fluid, gasoline or carburetor cleaner
Cleaning agents: dry cleaning fluid, spot remover or degreaser
Food products: vegetable cooking spray, dessert topping sray (whipped cream) or whippets
Gases: nitrous oxide, butane, propane or helium

Signs of use
There are common links between inhalant abuse and problems in school, such as failing grades, chronic absences and general apathy. Other signs include the following:

Paint or stains on body, clothing, rags or bags
Unusual breath odor or chemical odor on clothing
Slurred or disorientated speech
Anxiety, excitability, irritability or restlessness
Missing household items
Red or runny eyes or nose
Spots or sores around the mouth
Drunk, dazed or dizzy appearance
Nausea and loss of appetite
(Source: www.inhalants.org)

• For help in the KMC, call Army Substance Abuse Program at 486-1710 or the local Adolescent Substance Abuse Counseling Services counselors at the Ramstein and Kaiserslautern middle and high schools. For more information, visit www.poisonprevention.org.