The Dangers Of 'Huffing'

What your children don't know about inhalant abuse could kill them, and what they don't know might be a lot, reports CBS News Health Correspondent Dr. Emily Senay.

Inhalants are common household solvents, cleaners, aerosols, and other products that are easily available to kids and easily abused by inhaling the fumes to get high. It's calling "huffing."

A new survey of children 10 to 17 years old by the American Academy of Pediatrics revealed almost a quarter of them had either seen or had heard of peers who abused inhalants, and that the average age at which they became aware of inhalant abuse was 12 years old.

The survey also found that children ages 10 to 11 are the least likely to learn about inhalants in school or talk to their parents about inhalants. But they are also the ones who are most likely to have been personally exposed to them.

The most important thing to teach your kids about huffing: It can easily kill you, even if you only do it once.