Tweens Favor Inhalants To Get High
A newly released federal government report points to an alarming trend - that preteens and young teens who use drugs chose inhalants as a "gateway" drug to other illicit drugs.
The findings released at the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition's latest news conference reveal that among young drug users, 12- and 13-year-olds sniff common household chemicals to get high, often before moving on to marijuana or abusing pain pills.
"Inhalants are everywhere in the house and garage, and parents often do not realize that the glue and paint are not being used for crafts or science projects," H. Westley Clark, MD says in a news release. Clark is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Statistics director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
According to Clark's prepared statements, "while the data show that often children move away from using inhalants as they grow older, they often move on to other illicit drugs. Inhalants are a health hazard that can damage the brain, heart, liver, or kidneys." Clark warns parents that inhalants can "cause severe damage and even death."
The report looked at national survey results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health of adolescents aged 12 to 17 done from 2002 to 2006. The combined data showed that an annual average of 593,000 adolescents had used inhalants for the first time in the year before the survey. Twenty-one percent surveyed say they used an illicit drug in the past year.
Among the youngest surveyed, aged 12 or 13, inhalants were the most reported class of illicit drug used in the past year. Marijuana was the most-used class of illicit drug among the older teens, with use of pain relievers in second. Rate of inhalant use in the past year went up from age 12 to 14 (3.4% to 5.3%), but then decreased by age 17 (3.9%).
Shoe polish, glue, and toluene were the most-used inhalants in adolescents aged 12 to 15.
There is concern that young people are not taking the risks of inhalants seriously, according to study authors. "While teens are increasingly aware of the dangers of illicit street drugs, they continue to underestimate the risks of abusing products that can be found in the home, like inhalants and prescription and over-the-counter medications," Stephen J. Pasierb, president of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, said during a news conference.
Pasieb offered these tips for parents:
Related Study Looks at Kids in Treatment for Drug Abuse
Here are the findings for a related federal government study looking at youngsters who get treated for substance abuse.
On The Early Show Friday, Jordan Paul, 17, who started using inhalants at 14 and is now in rehab, and Carrie Wilkens, a psychologist specializing in addiction, spoke with co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez about the dangers of young teens using inhalants.
Paul, who is from Ohio, used a series of inhalants -- gasoline, hair spray, cleaning supplies -- whatever was available. He is being treated for addiction at Pathway Family Center in Milford, Ohio.
TO SEE A SUMMARY OF THE INHALANTS REPORT, AND FOR LINKS TO THE REPORT ITSELF AND A WEALTH OF OTHER, RELATED RESOURCES, CLICK HERE.
To see the Early Show segment, .
By Kelley Colihan
Reviewed by Louise Chang
?2008 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved
© 2008 WebMD, LLC.. All Rights Reserved. The findings released at the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition's latest news conference reveal that among young drug users, 12- and 13-year-olds sniff common household chemicals to get high, often before moving on to marijuana or abusing pain pills.
"Inhalants are everywhere in the house and garage, and parents often do not realize that the glue and paint are not being used for crafts or science projects," H. Westley Clark, MD says in a news release. Clark is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Statistics director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
According to Clark's prepared statements, "while the data show that often children move away from using inhalants as they grow older, they often move on to other illicit drugs. Inhalants are a health hazard that can damage the brain, heart, liver, or kidneys." Clark warns parents that inhalants can "cause severe damage and even death."
The report looked at national survey results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health of adolescents aged 12 to 17 done from 2002 to 2006. The combined data showed that an annual average of 593,000 adolescents had used inhalants for the first time in the year before the survey. Twenty-one percent surveyed say they used an illicit drug in the past year.
Among the youngest surveyed, aged 12 or 13, inhalants were the most reported class of illicit drug used in the past year. Marijuana was the most-used class of illicit drug among the older teens, with use of pain relievers in second. Rate of inhalant use in the past year went up from age 12 to 14 (3.4% to 5.3%), but then decreased by age 17 (3.9%).
Shoe polish, glue, and toluene were the most-used inhalants in adolescents aged 12 to 15.
There is concern that young people are not taking the risks of inhalants seriously, according to study authors. "While teens are increasingly aware of the dangers of illicit street drugs, they continue to underestimate the risks of abusing products that can be found in the home, like inhalants and prescription and over-the-counter medications," Stephen J. Pasierb, president of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, said during a news conference.
Pasieb offered these tips for parents:
- Be aware of which products can be abused.
- Keep track of potentially dangerous products in the home.
- Talk to your children about the risks of inhalant abuse.
Related Study Looks at Kids in Treatment for Drug Abuse
Here are the findings for a related federal government study looking at youngsters who get treated for substance abuse.
- 45% of those who abused inhalants also have psychiatric disorders, compared with 29% who abused other drugs.
- 12- to 17-year-olds made up 8% of substance abuse treatment admissions in 2006, but they made up nearly half of all admissions who say they used inhalants.
- 41% of teenage girls admitted to drug treatment centers involved inhalants; 30% of those admitted did not report inhalants.
On The Early Show Friday, Jordan Paul, 17, who started using inhalants at 14 and is now in rehab, and Carrie Wilkens, a psychologist specializing in addiction, spoke with co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez about the dangers of young teens using inhalants.
Paul, who is from Ohio, used a series of inhalants -- gasoline, hair spray, cleaning supplies -- whatever was available. He is being treated for addiction at Pathway Family Center in Milford, Ohio.
TO SEE A SUMMARY OF THE INHALANTS REPORT, AND FOR LINKS TO THE REPORT ITSELF AND A WEALTH OF OTHER, RELATED RESOURCES, CLICK HERE.
To see the Early Show segment, .
By Kelley Colihan
Reviewed by Louise Chang
?2008 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved
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Posted by olebd "
I call it the dumbing-down of America, the result of the foolish school policy I call ''no idiot left behind'', we have kids who cant even find the PANHANDLE STATE of Florida on a blank outline map of the USA, who drink drain cleaner or something out of a gallon jug under the sink because its the same color as cool-aid and they were too stupid to know the difference.
These are the ones who will be flying your airplane, driving your bus, building your car, house, assembling your pacemaker someday or injecting your meds int he hospital!
scary isnt it? thse who couldnt find their way out of a paper bag flying your next airplane trip- hope it wont be your LAST one because the pilot mistook .10 for 10, or your nurse mistook the dose of your critical IV meds as 1 cc instead of .1 cc
Write me at: programtruth "at" hotmail.com
These are two substances which:
1) are common in American households
2) kids are told are ''dangerous'', usually by people who are using them.
Inhalants, marijuana, and all the others tend to not
1) be available for sale at the grocery store
2) not be common in American households
These things are problems in America, however, it doesn''t help to solve a problem when it is lied about for political/economic reasons.
These are not gateway drugs.
I was 13,when teacher brought up gule in a bag and a stutudent was a sniffer.
I DON''T understand the wanting to get HIGH or STONED. Adults can yak about this issue til the cows come home . They tune us out.
They do illegal drugs to run away from what is real. Most FEEL hopeless and no future. Parents can lock the cleaning items up but the kid will buy it. I have never understood the mindset of a drug user. Vince lost his youngest brother to drugs. That brother went to prisom over it. He was killed in a car wreck. That was before I met Vince. His brother was born in 54 the same as I.