Inhalant Abuse By Teens On Rise
(As reported 3/3/99)
A recent survey reports that one in five youngsters in 8th through 12th grade have used inhalants - common household chemicals - to get high.
Kids call it "huffing" or "sniffing," and more American children are said to be doing it.
More than 1,000 items on the market can be abused in that way and include such products as nail polish remover, glue, and hair spray. Sniffing has become the fourth most common form of abuse among high school students, behind alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.
Experts say the problem is not found in certain demographic groups, but across the board. In January, a car crash that killed five Philadelphia-area classmates shocked the nation. Autopsy results showed that four of the girls, including the driver, had been high on an inhalant when the accident occurred.
In the wreckage of the car was a computer cleaner. Ironically, the teens had made a video for an anti-drug school project just 10 days before the crash.
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| Isabel Burk (CBS) |
Isabel Burk, a drug abuse prevention educator, told CBS News Correspondent Russ Mitchell that stories like this do not scare children away from inhalants.
"We know there have been deaths from inhalant abuse for more than 40 years," Burk says. "Even when their best friend dies, they continue to huff and sniff to get high."
The attraction to inhalants is that the high is immediate and the drug abuse is easily concealable, says CBS News Health Correspondent Dr. Emily Senay.
"The high is described something like an alcoholic high but you don't have to have a few drinks and wait a while to get the effect," Dr. Senay says.
However, the high also dissipates right away, so that kids must constantly inhale to regain the chemicals' effect.
Inhaling has dangerous effects on the body, including arrhythmia, or irregularity of the heartbeat. This is the most common cause of death from inhalants, Dr. Senay says.
There is also more serious long-term health problems that can develop, including kidney damage, liver damage, and damage to the nervous system. Neurological damage can result in visual and hearing problems, and can also lead to the deterioration of mental abilities.
Parents should watch out for the following warning signs that their children may be abusing inhalants:
- Dizziness
- Slurred speech
- Coordination loss
- Drowsiness
- Irritated eyes
- Sores around nose and mouth
- Chronic cough
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Anxiety or irritability
Burk says that part of the reason the problem has become widespread is that parents are not speaking with their children aout the issue.
"I suggest that parents talk to their kids, tell them to be careful whenever they use any household chemical or cleaner. But most of all parents have to be good role models," Burk says.
When discussing inhalants with children, Burk stresses that parents should not make it a drug issue.
"We make this as a safety issue. We talk about it in general about keeping yourself safe. It's a poison-control issue," Burk says.