Maryland Woman Arrested for Huffing

A 36-year-old Maryland woman was arrested for huffing a harmful substance when a police officer conducted a wellness check. The officer determined the woman to be under the influence of inhalants when he approached her in her parked car. She was arrested for inhaling a harmful substance and two counts of paraphernalia possession.

Maryland Woman Dies from Inhalant Addiction

Via WUSA9 in Washington, D.C.:

A young Maryland woman recently lost the fight to inhalant addiction when she was found dead behind a Walmart store in West Palm Beach, Florida, last month.

The 28-year-old from Annapolis, MD, was described as an "extroverted young woman who loved to laugh," and be surrounded by friends. She was first introduced to inhalants by an ex-boyfriend, but later became addicted and went through several rounds of treatment at facilities in both Virginia and Florida. In July, the young woman stopped answering phone calls and texts and eventually passed away from huffing.

Her family is dedicated to spreading knowledge on inhalant abuse and increasing awareness in communities across the country. They are currently accepting donations for the Malia's Fund, which will provide grants to non-profit organizations dedicated to addressing the disease of addiction.

ACE and Batman Strike Out Inhalants with the Bowie Baysox



ACE and Batman from Superheroes for Kids teamed up with the Bowie Baysox in Maryland to Strike Out Inhalant Abuse on August 3^rd.

Fans and BaySox Staff dressed as their favorite superheroes to celebrate Superhero Night at the ballpark.


Batman and the four students chosen to participate in the
pre-game presentation wait to begin on the field.

Batman arrived in his Batmobile Lamborghini to greet fans and talk with them about inhalant abuse prevention.

Four lucky middle school fans were chosen to go on the field with ACE and Batman for a pre-game Inhalant Abuse Prevention presentation.  The fans answered five questions on inhalant abuse prevention before Batman led the stadium in an Inhalant Abuse Prevention Pledge.

Inhalant Abuse Prevention Pledge

Throughout the game, Batman interacted with fans giving out Batman bracelets and signing ACE/Baysox posters that featured Caleb Joseph (#17) and the ACE Strike Out Inhalant logo.   In the fifth inning, Joseph was honored for his 400^th game with the BaySox.  Fans enjoyed fireworks in Caleb’s honor as he was recognized for his accomplishments.






ACE materials were handed out to fans as they stopped by the ACE table to learn more about inhalant abuse prevention and meet Batman.  ACE thanks the Bowie Baysox for their support in spreading the Strike Out Inhalants message!


For more pictures and information about the event in Bowie, MD, click here.

Maryland Man Huffing and Driving Causes Accident

Via Southern Maryland News Net in Maryland:

This past Saturday, a young Maryland man was driving his car southbound on Three Notch Road before falling asleep at the wheel and veering off to strike a tree and later a parked Saturn with two occupants. Inside the car was an adult male, and an eight month old child. After crashing, the driver was unable to immediately identify what had happened, and even questioned bystanders, asking "What happened? Did I hit something?"

The driver was arrested and charged with inhaling harmful substances, as well as many other reckless driving offenses including driving without a license, failure to stop after an accident involving damage, and life and persons.

Maryland Man Arrested for Huffing after Pursuit

Via WBAL TV in Maryland:

On Tuesday, June 18th, a Maryland man was arrested after huffing inhalants and blocking a roadway in the Normandy Shopping Center in Ellicott City. When police arrived to the scene, the man refused to open his car door and sped off leading police on a chase down Furrow Avenue. The chase ended when the man drove his car into a police cruiser after which he was arrested and found in possession of illegal drugs.

The man was charged with first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, driving under the influence, drug charges and numerous traffic violations.

2 Arrests Made in Maryland Hazmat Incident

via abc2news.com

After a chemical scare where neighbors had to be evacuated, police suspected a bomb or crystal meth lab.  However they soon realized it was "part of an alleged huffing scheme to make a quick buck." Baltimore police noted that an 18 year old man and a 19 year old man, were "mixing engine starter fluid with water, pouring it into bottles in an attempt to distribute it, so it could be used an inhalant."

'Climbing the hill' with SADD

Yesterday the ACE team traveled to Bethesda, Maryland to attend the 2009 SADD – Students Against Destructive Decisions National Conference, an annual event attended by hundreds of motivated youth and adults from all across the country. With over 10,000 active SADD chapters in the United States and members ranging in age from middle school to college, Bethesda’s North Marriott Conference Center was bursting with energy and excitement as participants began the first leg of their three day journey- ‘Climbing the hill,’ the theme for this year’s gathering.

SADD – Students Against Destructive Decisions is the leading youth-based prevention education organization in America, providing and empowering students with the proper prevention tools to deal with issues concerning underage drinking, drug use, impaired driving, and various other destructive decisions.

ACE conducted an hour long informational workshop defining and discussing the prominence of inhalant abuse within schools and communities across the nation. Attended by students, parents, counselors, and teachers from across the country (some as far away as California and Vermont) ACE’s presentation was extremely successful as the session facilitated insightful group discussion and dialogue!

In addition to presenting, ACE also distributed inhalant abuse information, FAQ’s and fact sheets to hundreds of SADD participants ‘hiking’ along the Exhibit Hall ‘trail.’

The ACE team had a fabulous SADD ‘excursion’ and is anticipating next year’s great adventure!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

From The Baltimore Sun in Maryland

ACE in coalition with the Bowie Baysox will host an inhalant abuse awareness night next week, Wednesday July 8 at 7:05 pm at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie, Maryland.

The Baysox will take on Eastern League rivals, the Harrisburg Senators as both teams muddle through conference standings. Despite facing off seven times previously this season, the final outcome remains hazy as the Baysox have come away with three solid wins and two close victories over the Senators. It clearly is “anybody’s game.”

In addition to being AA Eastern League competitors, match ups between the Baysox and Senators also elicit a much deeper-seated local rivalry. The Baysox an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and the Senators a Washington Nationals affiliate will go head-to-head next Wednesday giving Major League fans yet another opportunity to cheer on their favorite local professional team.

While fans support their teams from the stands, attendants will also have a chance to acquire critical information and resources pertaining to inhalant abuse prevention.

Please join us next Wednesday for a night of fun, entertainment, and inhalant awareness! For more information visit ACE at http://www.inhalant.org/ or the Bowie Baysox at http://www.baysox.com/.

Strike Out Inhalant Abuse- Maryland

ACE is teaming up with the Bowie Baysox, Trenton Thunder, and New Britain Rock Cats to raise awareness about inhalant abuse this summer through a "Strike Out Inhalant Abuse" program!

"Strike Out Inhalant Abuse” is a two-pronged community based program seeking to blend the appeal of America's pastime with the popularity of minor league baseball teams in three local communities. In these three regions ACE is working with local counselors to help them set up in-schools assemblies with appearances from local team mascots and players.

The first Maryland in-school assembly took place at J.C. Parks Elementary School in Indian Head! Thanks to the dedication and planning of Mrs. Dorothy Cole, school counselor, the program was a success! Due to her efforts, ACE and the Bowie Baysox were able to speak with students about the importance of healthy and safe decision making this summer.

If you know an elementary or middle school student in New Jersey, Maryland or Connecticut please urge them to enter into the Strike Out Inhalant Abuse Super Hero Contest!

(Mrs. Dorothy Cole takes a moment with Baysox and ACE)

19 Year Old Huffing Gasoline Assaults Ex-girlfriend

From WBAL TV News, Westminster, Md;

A 19 year old man has been charged with “attempted first-degree murder, assault, child abuse and arson” after assaulting an ex-girlfriend and setting fire to her apartment earlier this week.

The police report notes the man “tried to set a 5-year-old girl on fire using a hand sanitizer” and then tried to light a woman’s shorts on fire. He then “turned the stove on and tried to blow the place up, and then lighted the trash on fire.” He then tried to stab his ex girlfriend in the stomach and neck and set her 2-month-old baby on fire.

Police found the man nearby, passed out in his car. The police report notes there was “evidence that he had been huffing gasoline.”

Thank you Bowie High School

Also in Maryland, Bowie High School is displaying the following message on their outdoor marquee in from of the school. A thank you goes out to Bowie High as well!

Inhalant News

Local news focus on inhalants: the Examiner recently posted an article called "Sniffing Beats Smoking Pot Among Young Teens" using data presented by the University of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse Research. According to the Center,

Inhalants are the most popular type of drug among children 12 to 13, the report found, with more than 500,000 young teens experimenting with solvents. Lacquer thinner, paint solvents and other corrosive chemicals can dissolve the fat needed to keep brain cells and kidneys functioning, and are some of the most dangerous substances that can be inhaled for a buzz, said Tony Tomasello, director of the office of Substance Abuse Studies at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

"They really are not all the same. Some are much more dangerous than others,” Tomasello said. “Inhalant refers to the method of putting a drug into your system, not the type of drug.”

More news at Healthfinder.gov: "For Adolescents, Inhalants are Drug of Choice".

Inhalants featured in BusinessWeek, in their Lifestyle section.

BusinessWeek also had an article called "Children On Drugs: More Common than You Realize" last September in their Working Parents section.

NewsAnchorMom posted about inhalant abuse early last week.

From About.com: "Inhalant Abuse Remains an Adolescent Problem".

See other articles posted on the site, such as:

• Basic Facts About Inhalants
• Frequently Asked Questions About Inhalants
• Early Inhalant Use Signals Future Problems
• Youth Inhalant Abuse Continues to Rise
• Inhalant Use: Prevention in the Home

Love Your Child - Be Informed

Thanks to the efforts of Janna Zuber, the sign in front of
Bowie High School in Maryland now displays a message urging parents to visit our main site, http://www.inhalant.org/.


This is just in time for National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week, and it would be great for other communities to follow this lead and post something publicly.

Maryland Study Shows Inhalant Use Rising

An Oceanside, Maryland survey shows that while the percent of students using some drugs has decreased, inhalant use is still on the rise. Here are some of the statistics presented for 7th grade students, showing usage compared to the study results of 2001:

• Alcohol use is down, from 32% to 30%.
• Marijuana use is up, from 12% to 13%.
• Inhalant use showed the greatest increase, from 13% to 16%.

About 70% of the students participated in the anonymous survey. 11th graders showed the most drastic decrease in drug and alcohol use, but the inhalant results for that age group weren't disclosed in the articles. Randi Gibson, director of student support services, attributes the decrease in use to the school district's prevention programs.

After talking to Jim Shirley, a program specialist at Oceanside, we have more detailed results of the survey. Here are the two questions asked about inhalant use and their responses, according to grade and year.

1. During your life, did you ever use inhalants?

5th grade:

• 2001 - 4%
• 2003 - 3%
• 2005 - 5%
• 2007 - 4%

9th grade:

• 2001 - 19%
• 2003 - 14%
• 2005 - 18%
• 2007 - 15%

11th grade:

• 2001 - 14%
• 2003 - 12%
• 2005 - 13%
• 2007 - 14%

2. In the past thirty days, did you use inhalants?

5th grade: (not given)

7th grade:

• 2001 - 4%
• 2003 - 6%
• 2005 - 7%
• 2007 - 8%

9th grade:

• 2001 - 9%
• 2003 - 5%
• 2005 - 6%
• 2007 - 3%

11th grade:

• 2001 - 3%
• 2003 - 4%
• 2005 - 3%
• 2007 - 3%

WJZ Baltimore News Story

ACE was featured prominently in a local news story covered by Channel 13 WJZ in Baltimore, Maryland. The clip focuses on Janna Zuber, who has been proactive in raising awareness about inhalant abuse after the death of her son Justin. It showed at 11:00 PM last night and will continue to air on WJZ this week as well as on the wjz.com web site.