Blog Report

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Project HAPPY in Ohio

From Courier.Com in Findlay, Ohio:

A group of 16 teens in Hancock County have set out to increase awareness of inhalant abuse in their community. They stepped up efforts after a “young driver got into a serious car crash while she was huffing.”

Together, as part of Project HAPPY (Hancock Addiction Prevention Program for Youth) they have been querying area businesses to find out whether they “had established guidelines regarding the sale of inhalants to minors.”

They found that “three stores had written policies which prohibited sales of inhalants to those under 18, two other stores didn't have a policy, but were "open to" developing one, while the sixth business has yet to respond to the group's request for information.” The group is now looking to “review the existing policies and to develop a "model" policy that would be made available to other businesses in the community.”

Carol Taylor, prevention coordinator for the Family Resource Centers noted that “Inhalants are the fourth most common substance abused by Hancock County teens-with only alcohol, tobacco and marijuana more popular.”

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