More Teens Abusing Inhalants

1
More Teens Abusing Inhalants

• CNN Health
• Reuters
• March 22, 2005

2
What Are Inhalants?

• Inhalants are volatile chemical drugs (such as
  nitrous oxide) or non-drugs (such as paint
  thinners or model airplane glue) that are
  breathed in and affect the brain in ways similar
  to CNS depressants.
• Abuse of inhalants warrants more attention
  because many of these products are legal, easy to
  obtain, and therefore more accessible to
  youngsters.

3
Information and Statistics

• Inhalants commonly sniffed, or "huffed," by
  children as young as 8 include gasoline and
  lighter fluid, spray paints, cleaning fluids,
  paint thinners and other solvents, degreasers,
  correction fluids, hair sprays and odorizers.
• Approximately 23 million people have abused
  inhalants in their lifetime. More than 2 million
  people huffed in 2003, of that 1.1 million were
  12-17 years of age. In 2002, more than 1 million
  people huffed for the first time, 883,000 were
  aged 12-17.

4
Health Risks

• Health risks include
• brain and neural damage
• convulsions
• depressed motor skills
• suffocation / asphyxia
• chronic weight loss
• loss of consciousness
• delinquent behavior
• death

5
Suggestions for Reducing Inhalant Use

• Laws requiring the addition of nausea-inducing
  substances to model airplane glue.
• Regulation of the sale of chemicals in retail
  outlets.
• Education of adults regarding proper storage of
  volatile home products.
• Requirement of childproof containers for
  dangerous chemicals
• Education of the public in general about the
  inhalant category of substance abuse.

6
Relating It Back to HLTH301

• Drug education must be a diverse strategy that
  includes classroom activities focused on
  developing personal and social skills as well as
  other developmentally appropriate activities and
  learning experiences.
• Drug education and prevention must involve the
  family, the community, and the cultural
  environment, particularly the media.

7
Links

• National Inhalant Prevention Coalitionhttp//www.
  inhalants.org
• Partnership for a Drug-free Americahttp//www.dru
  gfree.org
• Parents. The Anti-Drughttp//www.theantidrug.com/
  drug_info/drug_info_inhalants.asp