Survey in Erie Shows Inhalant Use Up

The Civic Institute and Erie County Health Department in Pennsylvania just released the results of a county-wide survey of middle and high schoolers yesterday.

The creators of the study were concerned about accurate results, so Amy Eisert, the director of the Civic Institute, came up with a solution: "We included trick questions in the survey. One of them was that we listed a make-believe drug and asked students if they ever used it. If they said yes, we tossed out their survey."

Some highlights:

• The number of students who gambled in the last year was down, from 35% two years ago to 29%.
• Students who smoked in the last thirty days declined from 12.4% to 11.5%.
• Binge drinking and marijuana usage also decreased.

However, inhalant usage increased 1%.

The superintendent of Erie Schools, Jim Barker, was not surprised.

He says that the survey "mirrors what's happening in the state and across the nation," and that the report presented "clear reasons why schools, community agencies and parents have to work together" to prevent students from using drugs or alcohol.

Charlotte Berringer, the director of community health for the county Health Department, believes that "reports like this are invaluable because agencies who apply for funding need to show good, hard data. This report will help us put in evidence-based programming to deal with some of these issues."

Hopefully inhalant abuse will be addressed and more education provided in Erie County schools.

From GoErie.com.

Safe Kids Against Inhalants

Safe Kids of Central Shenandoah Valley has done a great job in raising awareness of inhalant abuse prevention in their community! After receiving a grant from the Virginia Department of Health in 2007, they began their efforts to spread inhalant abuse prevention messages to youths.

They have collaborated with the Harrisonburg City Schools and Risk Watch to issue a poster and essay contest for 7th graders. Their poster and essay contest was such a success last year, they are doing the same project again this year. Each participant will receive an "Inhalants Stink" t-shirt and tickets to the movie theater. The program is currently wrapping up for 2008, and they are happy to announce there have been more participants this year than last!

Safe Kids and the Strong Families Great Youth Coalitions have been working hard on getting inhalant prevention messages out to the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County community. Their Inhalant Abuse prevention display board has been rotated around Harrisonburg businesses and agencies during the past year. The board contains essential information for parents, educators and kids. That board has rotated around 10 businesses in Harrisonburg.

In addition to that, Safe Kids has incorporated table tents and tray liners which appear in middle schools and restaurants.

Safe Kids has also had a presence at several symposiums and fairs during the year. They exhibit their information in a variety of ways, including: table tents, bookmarks, tray liners, Virginia Department of Health’s tip sheet, and ACE’s What Every Parent Needs to Know About Inhalant Abuse brochures to name a few.

Notably, the group featured Inhalant Abuse prevention at the Harrisonburg Teen Pregnancy Prevention’s 2007 Teen Health fair. Approximately 400 teens were in attendance at the fair!

For more information on this group, or to find out how you can get involved, please contact Cindy Reeves at 540-433-4421 or email creeves@rhcc.com.

Williams Speaks to Schools in Kentucky

Sgt. Jeff Williams spoke to crowds comprised of junior high students, high school students, parents, counselors, and police officers for two days last week in Glasgow, Kentucky. The state has made efforts to counter the high inhalant abuse rate in some areas by inviting speakers to talk to schools and community leaders.

Williams says that what he wanted to get across was to, "in plain language, relay the most important information" - the most important information being what inhalants are, signs of inhlanat abuse, as well as the potential consequences. He says that he wants to counter all of the bad information that kids hear from their peers and get the real information out there.

Every child is going to be faced with a choice of whether or not to use inhalants. It's no longer a question of 'if', he says. Parents avoid discussing inhalant abuse with their kids because they "don't want to teach them", so they don't talk to them. Williams is in favor of giving children the real facts, the dangers, and the consequences so that they are able to make an informed decision.

Sgt. Jeff Williams is a police officer from Indiana who has become active in the inhalant community after his son Kyle died in 2004. Last December he was unanimously elected to the ACE Board of Trustees. 

Malaysian Organization Works to Curb Abuse

In response to trends of inhalant abuse, the Malaysian Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse, or Pemadam, are recruiting experts to study inhalants and create a strategy to inhibit the abuse in students.

Pemadam's general secretary, Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim, announced that they

"take a serious view of youths including students who sniff glue, petrol and paint as it can harm them."

Also, Pemadam will be organizing an anti-inhalant committee, which will include "academicians, researchers, police and related agencies".

There are going to be nationwide campaigns to raise awareness as well as legislature entitled 'The Intoxicating Substances Act'.

In addition, Ibrahim has "urged producers of glue, paint and petrol to reduce the smell of inhalants as this would help tackle the problem."

Story from Bermana.com, Malaysian National News Agency.

DUI in Vermont May Include Inhalants, Prescription Drugs

DUI laws may be revised in Vermont as a part of upcoming reforms, and include expanding the legislature to include driving while under the influence of prescription drugs and inhalants.

Currently, only federally regulated drugs are considered when being charged with a DUI. Stuart Scharr, the traffic safety prosecutor for the Vermont Association of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs, argues that, "Right now, if someone took Ambien and got in their car and killed someone, they could not be prosecuted for DUI. That's because it is not a regulated drug."

A potential problem that I could imagine would be the lack of definite proof of inhalant usage. For alcohol and drugs, there are breathalizers and blood tests, but inhalants exit the body in a matter of minutes. Any arrests for inhalants would have to be made on the basis of circumstancial evidence - paint stains on face, strong odor from clothing or mouth, slurred speech, or several empty aerosol cans throughout the car. I wonder if that would be enough to hold up in court.

Story from the Times-Argus. Another of their stories was featured here on the blog a few weeks ago after two young people were caught skipping school and abusing inhalants.

Singapore Inhalant Abuse

There are worrisome trends internationally as of late. On Friday, The Earth Times published an article called "Glue-Sniffing Making a Comeback in Singapore". According to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), the number of inhalant problems have risen from 120 in 2005 to 644 in 2007, a jump of nearly five and half times in just two years.

Other statistics provided are causing alarm: seven in ten caught were under 20 years old, and four out of five were male. 65% were still in school.

According to S. Vijakumar, the CNB deputy director, the three most common reasons for abusing glue are boredom, peer pressure, and curiosity.

Glue sniffing has been a problem in the past, spiking in 1987 when 1,112 abusers were caught. According to TODAYonline, the Intoxicating Substances Act was passed in retaliation and caused the 18-year decline.

The consquences for sniffing glue can be six months of jail time and a maximum fine of 2,000 Singapore dollars ($2,700). An alternative sentence is six months of CNB counselling.

Inhalant Ordinance Drafted

Inhalants are obviously becoming a trouble in the Philippines, as the province of Ilocos Norte has drafted an ordinance to restrict the sale of any inhalants to minors. Here is one of the main stipulations:

"Any person or establishment engaged in the selling of inhalants shall require their customers to present their business permits or any other appropriate identification before being allowed to purchase such inhalant, Provided, that, minors may be allowed to purchase said products when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, Provided, further, proper logging and recording shall be done by the establishment upon purchase, showing the name and address of the buyer and quantity of purchase."

Penalties:

"Any person or establishment violating this ordinance shall be imposed with the following penalties, upon the discretion of the courts:

1st Offense - a fine of PhP 1,000.00 (~$25)
2nd Offense - a fine of PhP 2,500.00 (~$60) and
3rd and any - a fine of PhP 5,000 (~$120) and cancellation of Governor's Succeeding Permit."

Do you think that restricting the sale of inhalants in a similar manner to liquor and tobacco will help curb underage inhalant abuse? Inhalants are so widely used that it seems that one could abuse them for years without ever having to set foot in a store.

Plus, this bill may not do as much for adult inhalant abusers, unless there were repercussions involved with buying too many cans. Is it worth the legislation and inconvenience for the possible gains?

Inhalant Use at WebMD

WebMD, one of the most trusted online medical sites, has recently added an article using data from a governmental report released in March to warn parents about the prevelance of inhalant abuse among youth.

We're glad to see inhalants featured by such a reputable source.

Does Huffing and Driving Count as a DUI?

Lawmakers in Tennessee are working to treat driving under the influence of inhalants the same as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Police officers cite a recent case of a man crashing into a bus after inhaling duster.

There has been some confusion over whether or not driving after inhaling should count as a DUI or not.

Oak Ridge Republican Randy McNally says, "I guess there's a question on whether it's actually a drug or not, and this would make it crystal clear that it also includes inhalants that alter the nervous system."

McNally would also like for officers to note when inhalants were involved in a DUI arrest in order to gather data on inhalants' prevalence. He says that if the bill is passed and inhalants are proven to be commonly used, it may push the legislature to help curb the use.

Driving under the influence of an inhalant is by no means a rare occurence, and has been featured in this blog several times:

Huffing, Puffing, and Driving
Huffing Man Crashes Into Special Ed Bus
After Sonora Accident
Woman Hit By Huffing Driver
Arrest for DUI, Hit and Run
Inhalants and Driving
Police Against Drugged Driving
Driving Under the Influence (three stories)
Driver Arrested After Two Collisions

These all took place within the last two months.

Mayor and Governor Inhale Helium, Set Bad Example

During the filming of a promotional ad for the KUSA Channel 9 Health Fair, a community project in Denver, both Mayor Hickenlooper and the Governor Ritter were featured holding balloons and talking in high, squeaky voices - the implication being that they had inhaled the helium.



Viewers called the station, saying that it was inappropriate for elected officials to be huffing anything, even helium. After a week of complaints, the footage was cut from the commercials.

While helium is not an inhalant, there are serious risks involved with its inhalation. A common problem is the lack of oxygen exchange, which can cause dizziness and even unconsciousness. This can result in stumbling or falling into something dangerous.

If a child or adult inhales helium from a tank, there can be more serious injuries involving the lungs. In general, avoid both tanks and balloons.

Restrictions in Essex County, England

In order to curb inhalant abuse, the Essex County Council Trading Standards in England are conducting undercover test sales for various inhalants. They use a 14-year-old girl who attempts to buy a butane refill. Five stores out of fifty made the sale. Here are the results:

On each occasion the volunteer, who was supervised throughout the process, attempted to purchase butane lighter refills. Statistics show that these account for the majority of deaths among people using them for intoxication purposes, due to volatile substance abuse (VSA).

A number of shops visited also indicated that they would have made the sale, but were out of stock or unable to locate their supply. Trading Standards officers re-visited these retailers to advise them on age restricted sales.

The stores visited included both smaller independent stores and major retail chains. Trading Standards officers said they were concerned that some retailers still believe that the legal age for purchasing solvents is 16, rather than 18.

Statistics compiled by St George's University of London show that VSA is responsible for more deaths amongst young people aged 10-16 than “conventional” illegal drugs.

Roger Walters, county council executive member for Trading Standards said:
“Solvent abuse is a serious problem, which is why these products should not be made available to young people under the age of 18. There is simply no excuse for stores to flout the law on this.

We are planning to conduct more test sales for solvents, and any retailers who continue to ignore our warnings can expect to be punished severely.”

Do you think that these restrictions will be effective? If so, which inhalants (solvents) should be limited to adults? Will it curb abuse from products already in the home? What about abuse in those older than 18?

Also, with over 1,400 abusable inhalants, it would not be feasible to ban each one from underage purchase. If those most popularly used were restricted, would a new inhalant take its place?

Press Conference

Media coverage is still going strong today, with several sources throughout the country devoting articles to inhalant abuse after a recent press conference launching NIPAW in Washington DC. Here are the most recent ones:

CBS News: "Tweens Favor Inhalants to Get High: Study shows youngsters use inhalants as a 'gateway' to other drugs"

They also provided statistics from a recent government study of substance abuse in youth.

• 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.

The article also quoted Dr. H. Westley Clark, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Statistics director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. He says,

"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,"

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."

CBS3: Philadelphia also ran a similar story, in "Health: Huffing". They interviewed Jordan Paul, 17, who has had a history of abusing inhalants. He mentioned that,

"Anything I could get my hands on aerosol, gas anything I could find ... It was very easily accessible I didn't have to pay for it. You know, I didn't have to look for it. You know, it was around. It was everywhere."

From HealthDay, in Yahoo News: "For Adolescents, Inhalants Are Drug of Choice". This article also ran in the Washington Post.

dbTechno, in Boston: "Young Teens Using Inhalants As Gateway Drug"