The community forum went wonderfully, he said. There were about 175 parents present at the meeting. For the section on inhalants, they showed a new video as well as a PowerPoint presentation. Information was provided about the signs and symptoms of inhalant use, the associated paraphernalia, and the physical evidence.
He explained what a revelation it is for parents to realize just how many household and commonly-used products can be abused. “You don’t see parents saying, ‘I had no idea!’ about drugs, cocaine or alcohol,” he continued, “Inhalants are not on their radar screen.”
The questions from parents were varied, from wanting to know what specifically to look for in their child, to wondering what it was that drives kids to 'huff'. Although many believe that their kids are safe, he warns parents that there are products in their houses that have the potential to be abused.
Also speaking was a recovering inhalant abuser, who described his relationship with inhalants and why he used them, and what finally brought him to seek help.
One notable demonstration of Kim's that the audience will remember used a mirror and computer duster to show its potentially hazardous effects. He sprayed the mirror with an upside-down can of computer duster to show the frost that covers it. This revealed how cold the chemical inside can be, in order to further explain that it's not just compressed air. Frostbite around the nose and mouth can be one of the symptoms of abusing computer dusters.
We're glad that Hamilton Southeastern took such a proactive approach in educating the community and hope that more schools reach out in the future.
Kim Manlove also maintains a blog for Parent Partners to spread his prevention message even further.
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