Man Huffing on Sidewalk Outside K-Mart

From the Kitsap Sun in Washington:

Last Thursday evening, a 29 year old man was arrested for allegedly “getting high” on computer dusters outside a K-Mart.

Store employees “called police at about 6 p.m. because they thought a man who was passed out on the sidewalk in front of the store was drunk. When an officer arrived, the man was still there on his side.”

While talking to the employees, the officer “heard what sounded like a can spraying. One of the employees said, "He's doing it again." The man was still on the ground and the officer saw him “discharging something from a metal can into his mouth.”

“One of the employees said he'd watched him inhale from the can at least two other times.”

The man was “incoherent and disoriented” and was taken to the hospital. He was soon released and booked on “suspicion of inhalation for the purpose of intoxication with bail set at $2,500.”

Teens Crash Car into Store after Huffing

From the Picayune Item in Mississippi:

Last Wednesday evening, “a car carrying four juveniles crashed into the K & T Texaco on U.S. 11, destroying the ice cooler out front and cracking the brick wall behind it.”

The 16 year old driver was charged with DUI after at least three cans of computer duster were found in the car. “All four juveniles in the car were treated for mild to moderate injuries.”

The car had been traveling at least 60 miles per hour when it hit the store. “Damage to the store was roughly estimated to be about $14,000, just for the wall and the demolished ice machine.”

“The car not only destroyed the ice cooler but it also hit another car, which dominoed into two other cars.”

The store employees noted, “Fortunately the ice machine that was struck by the car had run out of ice earlier that day so no one was at the machine at the time of the accident” and “No one — luckily — was sitting at the booths.”

Patient in Treatment Center Dies From Huffing

From Newscow.com in Cowley County, Kansas:

A 45 year old man died after huffing computer duster at a substance abuse treatment facility last month. He was found “unresponsive in his room at the center when emergency personnel arrived on Aug. 22.”

The man smuggled the item into the facility. He had “been at the treatment center for three days, video evidence confirmed that he concealed the can of dust remover from staff.”

The spokesperson for the Center notes, “Staff checked his stuff but he had the can hidden in the front of his pants. Everyone felt horrible about it.”

19 year old crashes car after huffing

From the Gillette News Record in Gillette, Wyoming:

On September 2nd, a 19 year old man "lost control of his pickup at about 4:30 pm and plowed into a home, causing at least $8,000 in damage."

Police allegedly found a can of computer duster in the vehicle and the driver was "ticketed for driving while impaired and unlawful use of a toxic substance."

20 year old taken to hospital after Huffing

From the Daily Ledger in Canton, IL:

A 20 year old woman was taken to the hospital after "allegedly “huffing” the contents of a can of compressed gas." She was "issued a notice to appear for unlawful use of intoxicating compounds."

Women Crashes Car for the 2nd Time After Huffing

From the Cape Cod Times:

A 31 year old woman has crashed her car for the second time after admittedly “huffing”, or using inhalants.

Yesterday morning she “crossed a raised median” and then “her car sideswiped another in the opposite lane then hit another head-on.” The accident injured three including a woman who is five-months pregnant.

Police “found a can of substance used to clean heating and air conditioning ducts inside her car.” “Later, when interviewed by police, she said she inhaled the substance to get high before the accident after buying it in the nearby Staples store.”

Last month, on August 14, She was “involved in a similar accident” at the same location. The police report from this accident notes that she was found passed out in her car with a computer duster in her hand. After this accident, her driver’s license was revoked “due to the threat Foley posed to the public.”

“Police said that immediately after the August accident she told them that she learned how to abuse inhalants by watching the A&E television show “Intervention.”

New Inhalant Abuse Report from SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) just released a new National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH) Report.

The report is entitled," Inhalant Abuse and Major Depressive Episode Among Youth Aged 12 to 17: 2004-2006. "The 2006 NSDUH Report surveys youth 12-17 years old to assess “co-occurrence of inhalant use and Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in the past year.”

Some of the findings include:

Inhalant Use:

• Past year inhalant use was almost 4 times higher among persons aged 12 to 17 than among young adults aged 18 to 25 (1.3 vs. 0.4 percent).
  
• In 2004 to 2006, 1.1 million youths aged 12 to 17 (4.5 percent) used inhalants in the past year
  
• Females in this age range were more likely than males to use inhalants in the past year (4.8 vs. 4.2 percent)
  
• Youth aged 14 or 15 (5.3 percent) were more likely than youths aged 12 or 13 (4.3 percent) & those aged 16 or 17 (3.9 percent) to have used inhalants in the past year.

Inhalant Abuse & Major Depressive Episode (MDE)

• The rate of past year inhalant use was higher among youths aged 12 to 17 who had MDE in the past year than among those who did not (10.2 vs. 4.0 percent)
  
• Males with past year MDE were about twice as likely as those without past year MDE to have used inhalants (9.6 vs. 4.0 percent)
  
• Females with past year MDE were about 3 times as likely as those without past year MDE to have used inhalants (10.5 vs. 3.9 percent)
  
• In each age group, youths with past year MDE were more likely than youths without past year MDE to have used an inhalant in the past year.

Which comes first: MDE or Inhalant Abuse:

• An estimated 218,000 (.9 percent) youths aged 12 to 17 used inhalants and experienced MDE in the past year.
  
• 43.1 percent experienced their first episode of MDE before initiating inhalant use.
  
• 28.3 percent used inhalants before they experienced their first episode of MDE
  
• 28.5 percent started using inhalants and experienced their first episode of MDE at about the same time.

Correction Fluid Use in India

From the Economic Times in India:

The articles calls sniffing correction fluid a “silent but rapidly growing addictive item among adolescents.” A Pune-based school recently found four students abusing correction fluid-‘“using it as an inhalant to get a high.”

“The students who were caught revealed that they pour the whitener on a kerchief and use it as an inhalant. They also apply it on their nails and lick it. One of them said he got a high lasting for as long as three to four hours.”

Lighter Burns Men Huffing in Car

From Anderson Independent Mail in Anderson, South Carolina:

A 19 year old man and a 34 year old man were allegedly “huffing computer cleaner in a car from roughly five aerosol cans” when the 34 year old used a lighter in an attempt to smoke a cigarette.

The car windows blew out in the explosion. “Firefighters and law enforcement officials, a hazardous materials team and Medshore Ambulance Service were called to the area to investigate the sedan after the explosion.”

The 34 year old suffered “second-degree burns to his hands, face, legs and neck.” The 19 year old “suffered second-degree burns to his chest, neck and face.”

The police have not ruled out the possibility of charges being filed against the men.

Update on Oregon Case involving Huffing Fatality

From the Statesman Journal: An update on yesterday’s blog post

The 23 year old driver “told deputies that she took a hit from a nitrous oxide canister while driving Monday before blacking out and crashing her vehicle.” The report also notes that she was “traveling about 45 mph to 50 mph at the time.”

She was “arraigned Wednesday on charges of first-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault and driving under the influence of inhalants.” She is being held without bail.

An interesting statement from the spokeswoman for the Sherriff’s Dept. The spokeswoman said, “incidents involving inhalants are rare in Marion County because most teens understand its risk factors.”

Do you agree with this statement? We would love to hear your feedback on this.

Some state-specific information also included in the article:

• “On April 23, 2007, Nickolas Shane Brown, 14, of South Salem died after inhaling the contents of a can of computer dust cleaner, police said.”
  
• “Reports of inhalant use in Marion County are slightly lower than statewide figures, said Jeff Ruscoe, a prevention specialist for the Oregon Department of Human Services Addictions and Mental Health and Division.”
  
• “Asked in 2005 and 2006 about past substance use in a 30-day period, 5 percent of eighth-graders reported using inhalants, and 2.5 percent of 11th-graders reported using them, according to studies.”
  
• “In 2007, 6.1 percent of eighth graders statewide reported using inhalants and 3.1 percent of 11th-graders reported using inhalants.”

Notice that the number of both 8th graders and 11th graders using inhalants increased from 2005/2006 to 2007.

12 Year Old Girl Killed From Huffing

From the Hannibal Courier Post in Missouri:

This past Wednesday a memorial service was held at the home of a 12 year old girl who died after huffing inhalants.

Sierrah Yarbrough was “found in her bed on Sunday, where she had apparently been inhaling aerosol hair spray. Found by her sister, emergency crews were summoned and Sierrah was taken to Columbia for medical care. She failed to regain consciousness, according to the source, and died on Wednesday.”

The community was deeply saddened by the loss of Sierrah. Some of their emotional concerns follow below:

• "We’re failing our kids"
  
• “She learned huffing from somewhere. It was a common can of hair spray. She inhaled so much her brain started to die.”
  
• "As a mother of teens myself, my ears have always been to the ground. Now my eyes are definitely more open."
  
• “She was a very special girl, the kids hung out together, watched the flood water, and just walked around and played. If I’d known what she was doing, I would have done something. My 11-year-old doesn’t understand why Sierrah died."
  
• “The community needs to be aware. An EMT told me this is a real problem in the school."

Help us reach more communities before it's too late. Visit our website http://www.inhalant.org/ and download the necessary materials to talk with your children about this issue.

Huffing Causes Fatal Car Wreck

From yesterday’s Salem News:

On Monday evening, a car containing four individuals ranging from 17 to 23 years of age veered off the road into a tree. The article notes, “Investigators have determined that more likely than not (the driver) had inhaled Nitrous Oxide gas prior to the crash.”

The 17 year old passenger in the right rear seat was rushed to the hospital where she “later died of her injuries at approximately 1:08 AM (August 26th).”

The front seat passenger “sustained at least a fractured leg” and the second rear seat passenger “sustained internal injuries.” Both were admitted to the hospital.

The 23 year old driver suffered minor injuries and was treated at the hospital and released. She was then transported to the county jail “where she was lodged on charges of Manslaughter in the Second Degree; Assault in the Second degree (two counts); and Driving While under the Influence of Inhalants.”

Law Enforcement in Nebraska concerned about huffing

From the Sun Telegraph last Friday:

A Sidney Police Probation Officer noted that inhalant abuse is a threat that is “growing significantly among local youths. He continued, “Instead of (using) alcohol or drugs, kids are inhaling aerosol cans and gasoline. This has become a major problem in Sidney.”

The officer references a recent case where the judge sentenced the individual to write an essay on huffing. “After writing the paper, she discovered that it has become an epidemic. She since has agreed to help educate local fifth-graders on the dangers of inhaling toxic chemicals.”

A few more interesting points from the officer:

• “I am scared to death for these kids. We don’t want anything to happen to them.”
• “This seems to be making a comeback”
• “People are dying right and left. If people knew what kids in the community were doing this, they would be shocked.”

Australian Students Caught Huffing

From LiveNews.Com.Au in Sydney, Australia:

Five students, in 7th -9th grade, were expelled and two were suspended from Sydney's Pymble Ladies College after they were allegedly caught inhaling aerosols.

The Principal noted, "Pymble Ladies’ College takes seriously any issue that has the potential to harm the health and well-being of its students."

New resource for parents in Calloway County, Kentucky

According to the Murray Ledger & Times, the Calloway County Sheriff's Department just released “Let's All Work to Fight Drug Abuse: Prevention through Education.”

The 35 page magazine contains information for “parents, teachers or anyone wanting to know more about the most commonly used drugs and what signs to look for should drug or alcohol abuse be suspected.”

Intervention's Inhalant Segment

There have been a number of posts on various blogs regarding A&E's Intervention episode that involved inhalant abuse. However, the comments following Jezel.com's post yesterday are particularly interesting.

Increase in Inhalant Abuse Rates in Singapore

From the Strait Times:

The article notes, “There were 352 inhalant abusers caught in the first six months, about the same as last year's 347 arrests.”

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has established a “formal Case Management Reporting Framework” for schools “to report all inhalant abuse cases to the anti-narcotics agency.” The article continues, “Inhalant abuse will, for the first time, be the main focus of the National Council against Drug Abuse's annual anti-drug campaign.”

McCann Inhalant Abuse Treatment Center— Follow up

From Secretary Mike Leavitt’s Blog, August 6, 2008

Mike Leavitt is the Secretary of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and in late July he toured a Western Alaska village to see first hand what problems some Native communities face today.

Along his scheduled tour, he paid a visit to the Yukon Kuskokwim-Health Corporation (YKHC), a tribal health organization. Located on the outskirts of Bethel, Alaska, a YKHC facility called the McCann Inhalant Abuse Treatment Center sits. Secretary Leavitt uses his blog to share his eye opening experience:

"The building houses a truly unique program for boys and girls that have become addicted to inhaling substances. This program responds to what is truly a terrible problem. In many remote parts of Alaska, people, desperate to escape their lives, seek intoxication by inhaling gasoline, glue, aerosols or any number of other household products with ingredients capable of producing such an effect. These toxic products are used as a substitute for alcohol or other drugs, which are both expensive and not as readily available to youth in remote Alaska.

"The existence of this problem is symptomatic of an epidemic of suicide in Alaska. In the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta, 13% of all deaths are from suicide. This is over four times the national average.

"This little Center serves the entire state of Alaska and is perhaps unique countrywide. The population of patients is boys and girls under 18 years old. By my observation, the average age is much lower than 18. The director said that the population of residents continues to represent more and more severe problems coming at younger and younger ages.

"I briefly attended two classes where I had a chance to meet the students. I want to be very careful not to compromise anybody’s privacy in the way I describe this, so I will just say it broke my heart. Seeing 14 to 16 year-old boys (there were not girls enrolled during my visit) who have clearly affected their long-term cognitive outlook was painful. Although I know they are getting help to move forward in a better way, the damage is already significant and there are many more who are not being served.

"In a direct way, the scene paints a picture so many children in remote Alaska face. Alcoholism is everywhere. I’m told incest and other forms of abuse are prevalent. Children looking for an escape inhale toxic substances for relief and become hopelessly addicted.
One of the workers told me of a conversation she had with a young boy who said he couldn’t stay away from inhalants. His words, as she reported them, were poignant. “When I think about it,” he said, “I am like metal to a magnet.”

"The Center is named the McCann Treatment Center after a man who stood in a town meeting with then Senator Frank Murkowski and, in desperation, pleaded for help with his grandson. The Senator knew there were thousands more like him and sought money to build the Center. It serves the few well, but the many continue in their quiet desperation, too many of them ending up as part of the 13% suicide rate.

"Once the brain has been damaged by inhalation it is permanent. However, they can prevent further damage and prevent premature deaths. The students are provided with a small-class-size environment, and taught skills consistent with the subsistence lifestyle they live in their villages. For example, they have a fishing camp where they are taught to catch, process and dry fish.

"I asked Jamie, the director of the Center, if the boys have trouble at that age being away from home for that long (the program can be as long as two years). He said that some of them struggle at first, but over time they begin to trust and open up. “They begin talking about the issues that motivated their destructive behavior in the first place. Watching them go through it is hard, but I love every one of these boys and I’m committed to helping them as best we can.”"

5 Ways Teens Might Cheat on Drug Tests & How to Catch Them

From U.S. News & World Report August 6, 2008

We receive a lot of phone calls, emails, inquiries on our Inhalant message board asking if there are any over the counter tests for inhalants. Unfortunately, no such test exists. This article explores drug tests, and 5 ways teens (and adults) try to cheat them.

Shockingly, bullet #3 explains how in order for a drug not to show up teens switch drugs to ones harder to detect (i.e. inhalants)- not realizing it may be considerably more hazardous. The article goes on to explain how "inhaling is acutely more dangerous than marijuana" and it how inhalant abuse “can trigger a lethal heart problem known as "sudden sniffing death" in otherwise healthy adolescents, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.”

Surprising Reasons for Student Drug Use

From digtriad.com , August 4th, 2008

A New York study reveals new insight into the reasons why teens use drugs.

The study shows that of 6,511 polled teens, 73% report that school stress and pressure is the main reason for drug use. “Ironically, only 7% of parents believe that teens use drugs to cope with stress.”

Over the past decade, studies have indicated a steady changing trend in what teens perceive as the motivations for using drugs. The "to have fun" rationales are declining, while motivations to use drugs to solve problems are increasing.

On the positive side, the study confirms that overall abuse remains in a steady decline among teens. Marijuana, ecstasy, inhalants, methamphetamine alcohol and cigarette usage continue to decrease.

Another Update on Glue-Sniffing in Fiji

From The Fiji Times Online

Police say glue-sniffing is becoming more serious with 2-3 students apprehended daily by police. The youngest student caught was only 9 years old.

Fiji Police Force deputy director ASP Anare Masitabua says the problem is that there was no law against sniffing glue, even though the force was trying its best to enforce relevant legislation.

The seriousness of the problem, he said, forced police to form a committee under the national substance abuse advisory council to formulate an Act to enable users of glue to be charged. "The Act will make glue a controlled substance so there are certain provision so some people like shoe makers will be allowed to buy it. The legislation will vet who the substance is sold to and what will be required to have access to it," he said.

Cologne Huffing Boy Attacks Mom With Candy

From The Kitsap Sun Police Blotter

A 16-year-old male was arrested for assaulting his mother and for interfering with a 911 call on July 29th. According to police, the mother had taken all of the boy’s cologne, believing that he had been spraying it into bags and inhaling it to get high. The boy became angry when she wouldn’t return the cologne. He threw a piece of candy at her, striking her eye glasses. He then broke a glass bowl against the floor. The boy tried to grab the phone his mother was using to call police. He was transported to the Kitsap County Juvenile Detention facility.

New UK data from Re-Solv

From Re-Solv in the UK:

A report released today by the Division of Community Health Sciences at St George’s, University of London, reveals that altogether in 2006 there were 49 deaths in the UK associated with volatile substance abuse. The report "Trends in Death Associated with Abuse of Volatile Substances 1971-2006", which was prepared for the Department of Health, describes trends in death associated with the abuse of gas fuels, aerosols, glues, anaesthetic agents and other solvent based products.

In 2006, butane from all sources accounted for 33 of the 49 deaths and of these butane cigarette lighter refills formed the largest group.

Five deaths in 2006 were as a result of asphyxia associated with the inhalation of nitrous oxide.

In under-18 year olds there were six deaths resulting from volatile substance abuse in 2006, compared with eight in 2005. Two of these deaths were associated with butane cigarette lighter refills, the sale of which to under-18s is prohibited by legislation.

Deaths were generally sudden and in 2006 were three times more common in males than females. Of the 49 deaths in 2006, ten were suicides involving the inhalation of a volatile substance.

For both adults and children volatile substance abuse leading to death usually took place in the home.

19 Year Old Found Huffing in Wal-Mart

From PhillyBurbs.com:

On July 20th, a 19 year old man from Warminster, PA was found huffing dust remover while at Wal-Mart. The article quotes police, “He needed the support of the cart to support his body while he was huffing and eventually fell down."

The man was charged with "disorderly conduct and public drunkenness."

Tuesday Talks with Tori: Antonio Roque Making an IMPACT

Antonio Roque is the hardworking advisor for the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) prevention and early intervention student assistance program, IMPACT. IMPACT focuses on students with issues resulting from family violence, divorce, drugs and alcohol, loss of a loved one, or living in gang territory, and currently has programs in 69 middle and high schools. IMPACT trained teachers and counselors identify students who may be suffering from any of the abovementioned concerns and encourage them to take part in an IMPACT student educational support group, which serves as a safe place for students to talk about their feelings and concerns.

Taking Care of Inhalant Abuse in LAUSD
In 2007, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that Los Angeles Unified School District students are at a “greater risk” of abusing inhalants than their US counterparts. “The current increase of inhalant abuse by our youth is an alarming fact that has our coordinators in need of resources, staff training, and an overall awareness of the problem to students, school personnel, parents, and the community.” In order to raise this awareness, IMPACT’s department took part in a series of meetings with city officials and community-based drug education organizations to address the increase use of inhalants by youth in the Los Angeles community. “The meetings resulted in the formation of a collaborative made up of representatives from the community at large.”

In addition to being part of the collaborative, Roque has been presenting to school staff and parents throughout LAUSD. “On April 12 of this year, I presented at the 12th Annual Parent Summit held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. On April 30th, I presented at the Educate, Energize and Empower Series on Child Safety—Gangs/Games and TV Violence/Alcohol/Internet/STD.” On both occasions, parents were shocked to find how easily everyday products are purchased and abused.

Throughout his presentations, Roque has received one common and clear message from parents: Education for parents and students is an overdue necessity.
“Though the parents are not totally in the dark about inhalants, the one prevalent barrier to overcome is the idea of, ‘not my child. My child is not doing that!’ This can only be overcome through more awareness and educational events.”

“The critical message for us as educators to convey to parents is the dual importance of talking to their children about inhalants and how to talk to them about the topic. The reports of children as young as 6 years of age having tried inhalants are an alarming fact that we should all take into account when discussing harmful substances and products with our children. As parents, these conversations need to start at an early age; and as teachers, we should be incorporating these topics into our healthy-living lessons in the classroom.”

In the new school year, Health Education Programs and IMPACT are planning more staff developments, awareness activities, presentations, and collaborations in the hopes of bringing down the high rate of inhalant abuse in local communities.

Volatile Substance Abuse in Teenagers

Original article by Christopher Evans of drug-aware.com

The author of a new piece on the need for education of volatile substance abuse, (VSA) otherwise known as huffing, declares that the lack of proper drug education is failing “our young people.” He states that the “youngest person to die from VSA was just seven years old, and the oldest was 80 years old,” suggesting that more education on all age and grade levels is necessary.

Christopher Evans quotes a 2007 report by St Georges University which detailed the latest statistics regarding deaths associated with VSA between 1971 and 2005. The study added the total UK recorded VSA deaths since 1971 to be 2,198.

Evans goes on to describe the many problems with inhalants; their easy access, the fact that no special equipment or pipe is necessary, the lack of home drug tests for inhalants, and the unique and fatal disorder known as “sudden sniffing death syndrome.”

“The good news is that since 1992, raised awareness has resulted in a significant fall in deaths from volatile substance abuse but, while the fact remains that one person in the UK still dies from VSA every week, increasing awareness of drug abuse through drug education is essential, whether young people receive this in the classroom or at home from their parents.”

Michigan Survey Shows Drop in Student Drug Use

From Grand Blanc News, Saturday July 26, 2008

The Michigan Alcohol and Other Drugs School Survey (MAOD) is a voluntary survey that collects data from eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders from more than 400 school districts across the state regarding their attitudes toward, and use of, drugs. Students were asked whether they had, in their lifetimes or in the past month, used alcohol, cigarettes, inhalants, marijuana, smokeless tobacco, amphetamines, barbituates, tranquilizers, hallucinogens, cocaine, steroids, heroin or other narcotics.

"Alcohol seems to be the drug of choice as we go through this," said Assistant Superintendent Norman Abdella, who presented the information showing that in each grade, alcohol was in the highest percentage of use. However, since 1996, when Grand Blanc began participating in the survey, drug use has dropped in almost every category.

This is the last year the MAOD survey will be given, but Abdella said the district will begin conducting its own similar survey in 2009. Abdella said the survey was "extremely voluntary and extremely confidential," which could mean that the numbers may not accurately reflect student drug use.

Rural life opens U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services’ eyes

From Tundra Drums, a publication of Alaska Newspapers, Inc

Last week a member of President Bush’s Cabinet, Mike Leavitt (head of the Department of Health and Human Services) toured a Western Alaska village to get a better understanding of the problems that help leave Alaska Natives riddled with health problems.

“This is just unacceptable,” he said, as he stared at a festering sewage lagoon on the edge of Kwethluk, a Yup’ik village of about 750.

Frothy, olive-colored “Honeybucket Lake,” as residents call it, is where the village dumps its feces because, like dozens of rural Alaska communities, it lacks flush toilets and running water.
“When it floods, it seeps out,” mixing with floodwaters that reach town and turn dirt roads into a soupy mess, said tribal administrator Herman Evan.

He and other village leaders suggested that may be one reason children often miss school with diarrhea, fevers and other illnesses. Also, the lack of tap water makes it difficult to wash hands – most villagers draw their drinking water from the Kwethluk River.

The day started with a visit to a behavioral health center in Bethel, where psychiatrists, teachers and other experts help troubled boys recover from a history of huffing gas and other inhalants. Toward the end of the day, Leavitt said the trip gave him an eye-opening view of village life that will lead to better-informed decisions as he reviews budgets totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

To find out more about the Secretary’s visit please click here for the full story.

Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Alex Demarban, author of the article, as he shares his thoughts and experience with touring the Western village alongside Secretary Leavitt.

Tuesday Talks with Tori: CSPA President Chris Cathcart on the Issues

Everyone knows there are many aspects to dealing with the issue of inhalant abuse. Today, I sat down with Chris Cathcart, President of the Consumer Specialty Products Association, ACE Board Secretary and father of four to get his perspective on how industry and ACE can work effectively to protect our children and communities. For more information on CSPA visit their homepage at http://www.cspa.org/

Cathcart on...
CSPA’s involvement with ACE
Chris Cathcart has been involved with the Alliance for Consumer Education since the foundation’s launch in 2000. This involvement and the strong partnership between CSPA and ACE proves his belief that it is vital for the industry to team up with non-industry in order to educate the public about health and safety risks associated with common products. “We are concerned parents and educators as well, and we saw a growing concern that children could misuse products in ways that we couldn’t even imagine.” This concern led to the development of ACE, which Cathcart believes has a unique role because “its goal is to reach out to any and every consumer.”

Being a parent
As a father of four, Cathcart realizes that, while they may think you’re hovering, “you sort of have to keep a close eye on your kids, because there is a lightning fast spread of information through the internet which allows your kids to find out anything.” He believes that parents, educators and guardians are going to have to change and adapt because the internet is not going away, and the ways of communicating are changing constantly. ACE is helping with this adaptation by developing a world in Second Life and creating social networking pages on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and Squidoo. Cathcart also emphasizes the importance of talking to children. He references a statistic from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America that shows when a parent talks to their child about inhalant abuse, that child is half as likely to even try an inhalant.

ACE’s accomplishments
Chris Cathcart has been the secretary of ACE’s board for the foundations entire existence, and has watched ACE grow and evolve for the past eight years. “ACE has grown in so many remarkable ways. The staff’s ingenuity to get into the school systems and really get out there amazes me. Every week, their reach grows exponentially.”

18-Year-Old Dies After Huffing Refrigerant From Car

From WKRG-TV in Mobile, Alabama:

An 18-Year-Old is now dead after huffing refrigerant from his car. According to police, he “was hanging out with a few friends when he raised the hood of a truck, opened the refrigerant valve and filled a plastic bag with refrigerant. He “then held the bag to his face and inhaled.”

Shortly after huffing the refrigerant he had a heart attack. He was then taken by helicopter to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

17 Year-Old Crashes Car After Huffing

From the Palladium-Item in Richmond, Indiana:

Last Thursday morning, a 17-year-old teen allegedly huffed dust remover before crashing his parents’ car into two guardrails.

Witnesses report that he was “swerving and spitting out of his car’s window prior to the crash.”

The automobile was towed from the scene of the crash and he was treated and released from the hospital. The Police have charged the teen with “driving under the influence, operating while intoxicated and inhaling intoxicating vapors, all Class A misdemeanors.”

15 Year-Old Dead After Huffing Refrigerant

From WREG in Memphis, Today’s THV 11 in Little Rock, and the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway, Arkansas:

Last Wednesday, a 15- year-old Arkansas boy was killed after he “huffed refrigerant from an air conditioner and got into a swimming pool.”

“According to a police report, the sister of one of the victims "looked outside the window and saw her brother floating in the pool and he was foaming from the mouth. She also stated she saw the other victim in the pool with a garbage bag over his head but he was above the water. She ran outside screaming at them and got no response, pulled them from the pool and called 911."

Her brother was pronounced dead at the hospital after “EMTs and emergency room personnel had attempted to revive him for about an hour.”

The second boy was found “breathing, but disoriented.” He was treated and released from the hospital. The bag that had covered his head tested positive for refrigerant. The County Coroner learned from the surviving boy what had happened. “The boys contrived a means of channeling refrigerant from the outside air conditioner unit into a 30-gallon trash bag, then got into the pool and took turns inhaling from the bag.” He further explained that they had leaned how to get the refrigerant out of the air conditioner from a peer and that they had “filled the 30-gallon bag five or six times.”

The Coroner also noted that inhalant abuse is “prevalent among teens, especially those between the ages of 12 to 14” and that “teens who abuse inhalants likely do not understand the dangers involved.”

The state medical examiner cautioned that this “was the second drowning he had seen involving huffing” and he suspects “there are also falls associated with huffing deaths.”

Glue-Sniffing on the Rise in Fiji

According to the Fiji Daily Post, glue-sniffing is on the rise with the younger students.

The article notes, “in a statement, interim Minister for Education Filipe Bole said his ministry was “seriously concerned” on how glue sniffing was escalating at an alarming rate and “efforts to protect children needs to be vigilantly pursued.” The minister said that although the substance was relatively new in Fiji, it was “reaching crisis proportions”.

A parent is “calling on parents to be more vigilant with their children and be aware of the availability of the item in various shops.” The minister “stressed that the most effective weapon in the war on such drugs was education” and “added that it was crucial that parents, caregivers, guardians, the school and the community to work together to assist in the monitoring.”

Man Caught Huffing…. Again

A 44 year old West Virginia man was arrested charges of huffing paint.

This was the 7th time since 1998 that he has been arrested on the same charges.

He was found with silver paint on his face and was charged with inhaling intoxicants.

Psychologist David Blum of Northwood Health System is quoted in the article, “addiction to inhalants is actually considered by many to be stronger than addiction to heroin and other drugs.”

He continues, “gold or silver spray paints have a higher concentration of toluene” which can cause “permanent damage and “sudden sniffing death.”

Powerful Message from the Manloves

From a letter to the editor in the Tri-State Media:

Death a ‘wake up call’ on the dangers of huffing chemicals:

To the editor:
The recent huffing death of a young woman in Boonville has been a tragic reminder to my wife and me about the dangers of inhalant abuse and a wake up call for the tri-state area.

Law enforcement, judiciary and community officials are worried and are sounding the alarm, according to the article (“Teen dies from huffing,” July 9). They should be and so should every parent of a preteen or teenager who isn’t aware of this type of substance abuse.

Huffing, the intentional inhaling of a volatile propellant or gas to get high, may seem unthreatening because its effects are short-lived.The propellants and gases that produce the brief feeling of euphoria are in hundreds of household items. So, how could they be deadly or harmful? They are harmful because the chemicals that make up propellants in aerosol cans are poisons and toxins that were never intended to be introduced into the human body. Our family learned that lesson the hard way when our 16-year-old son, David, died after inhaling the propellant in a can of computer duster.

An astounding and terrifying reality is the wide gap between what parents know or think about inhalant abuse and what young people report. According to a survey conducted by the Partnership for a Drug Free America, one in five teens has abused inhalants, yet only five percent of parents believe that their child has ever tried inhalants.

When parents are aware of a lethal risk in their home, they do everything possible to warn their children and/or eliminate that risk. But these useful household products can be lethal when abused and unfortunately few parents and their teens are talking about the dangers of huffing or looking for signs of use.

The reality is that every time teens abuse inhalants they are playing Russian roulette. Huffing can kill the first time, the 20th time or the 100th time. Continued use can result in brain damage, hearing and memory loss and/or permanent damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys and other vital organs.

This should be a wake-up call for parents, schools, our entire community — for more conversation and education. Our children deserve to have information that could save their lives and the lives of their friends. Information permits discussion, which can lead to prevention.

Parents, take time this summer to talk to your teens and pre-teens about huffing. Arm yourselves with information about the dangers of inhalants and how to talk to your kids about drugs through Web sites such as www.drugfree.org, and www.inhalant.org, and www.the24group.org

Talk to your school administrators about getting information about inhalant abuse in the library, counseling office and at PTA meetings.We thought we would know the signs of serious drug use in our son but we were wrong.Substance abuse cuts across all sectors of our society and touches one family in three.Our family story doesn’t have a happy ending, but we can honor David’s memory if we can help make others aware of the deadly perils of inhalant abuse.

Kim and Marissa Manlove
Indianapolis

Tuesday Talks with Tori: 4 Questions with Richard Wong

Hi there, this is Tori Wong, and to kick off my “Tuesday Talks with Tori” I spent 10 minutes with the Executive Director of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and ACE Board member, Dr. Richard Wong (no relation). Just kidding, Dr. Wong is not only the hard working Executive Director of a growing organization, he is also my father. Today, he agreed to talk to us about what school counselors are doing to combat the growing epidemic of inhalant abuse in schools across the country and why it’s important.

Tori Wong (TW): As the Executive Director of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), what do you see as the major problem with inhalant abuse?
Richard Wong (RW): Of course, the primary problem with inhalant abuse is that it exists at all. It's unfortunate that young people need to take common products that are a part of our everyday lives and use them in ways that could kill them with just one incidence of abuse. Beyond that, the major problem is a lack of understanding and awareness by the general public. If more adults knew how dangerous and accessible inhalant abuse is, and then took action, the problem wouldn't be as serious. The lack of understanding leads to a reluctance to discuss the problem or a denial that a problem exists, both of which make the problem worse.

TW: How do you think school counselors are working to solve that lack of awareness in their own schools?

RW: Through a collaboration between ASCA and ACE, school counselors across the country have used the inhalant abuse kits and other materials developed by ACE to educate their students about the dangers of inhalant abuse and to educate parents about effective ways to talk with their children, to spot warning signs that their children may be abusing inhalants or other substances, and to use products prudently to limit their children's access to products that potentially could be abused

TW: We all know there are many issues for parents, teachers, and counselors to deal with, why do you feel that more parents should educate themselves and their children about the dangers of inhalants?

RW: The fact is that inhalant abuse could potentially by more dangerous than illegal drugs or prescription medicine abuse. One incidence of abuse could result in permanent brain-damage or even death. At the same time, inhalants are more accessible than marijuana, cocaine or other illegal substances and even more accessible than alcohol. Products that are susceptible to inhalant abuse are part of our lives; it would be very difficult to get along with out them, so parents can't simply ban them from their house or stop using them. Therefore, they should educate themselves and their children about the proper ways to use and store the products and the dangers of abusing them.

TW: What can parents do to protect their children from the dangers of inhalant abuse?
RW: The reality is that we can't always protect them, so we need to help them protect themselves. Parents need to talk with their children about all risky behaviors. Of course, adolescent brains aren't fully developed and adolescents don't always use the best judgment, so parents should monitor their children's activities and take action when they have even the smallest suspicion. Some parents are hesitant to do anything because they fear they might anger their children and alienate them. Parents need to remember that they're the grown-ups in the family and it's their responsibility to make sure that their children become responsible grown-ups also. ACE provides excellent materials to help parents talk to their children and monitor them without being too constrictive. Their school counselors are an excellent resource as well.

Man Uses Inhalants with Two 13 year Old Girls

According to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader in South Dakota, a 22 year old man has been charged with providing alcohol to and using an inhalant with two 13 year old girls.

On Jun 19^th, the “the trio ingested air from a can used to dust off keyboards.” One of the girls “was taken to a Sioux Falls hospital and was still there earlier this week.”

New Mississippi Drug Study

From WLBT-TV Jackson, MS

A 2007 survey found more than 4% of Mississippi students in grades sixth through eleventh used inhalants in a 90-day period. Still alcohol and marijuana are most commonly abused.

Police from Madison, Mississippi have been noticing an alarming increase in alolesent drug use. “Police chief Gene Waldrop won't call it an epidemic but a display case in the department's front hall filled with confiscated drug paraphernalia proves it does exist.”

Teen Suffocates In Huffing Incident

According to the Evansville Courier Press, July 7, 2008, a 17-year-old Indiana girl has died from huffing butane.

On Thursday, July 3rd, sheriff deputies received a report that Karissa Krohn had fallen unconscious after having inhaled butane from a container used to refill cigarette lighters. Krohn was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Krohn’s friends were interviewed and said she had huffed the chemical once before but it had not negatively affected her.

Sheriff Marvin Heilman said he has heard of no other instances of butane abuse in Warrick County. “The victim’s actions obviously brought a horrible tragedy to her family and friends,” he said. “Karissa, by all accounts, was a hardworking, well-adjusted, normal teenager who was willing to experiment with an unknown risk with no fear of consequences and she died.”

Mother Arrested After Huffing With Teen

From KXnet.com, July 7th, 2008

A 25 year old North Dakota woman is in jail for child abuse, among other charges.Police were called to a neighborhood park on the evening of July 3rd after someone reported seeing two infants wandering around alone. The boys were ages one and three and their mother was found in a nearby car huffing dusters with a 15 year old girl. The woman was arrested for child abuse and neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and inhalation of vapors. Police later found 24 cans of duster in the car.

She started Huffing at the Age of 9

In a follow-up piece to the Vermillion piece earlier this month, KELOLAND TV in South Dakota interviews a mother who started using inhalants at age 9.

“Deanna, who only wants us to use her first name, is very open about her early addiction with huffing. She started at age 9. Mainly because of peer pressure.” "Gasoline, lighter fluid, rubber cement, nail polish," said Deanna. Deanna says huffing those chemicals would cause her to hallucinate. "Like you were in a video game, sometimes I passed out a couple of times," said Deanna. "Nobody was there to tell me how to say no."

The counselor who is helping treat Deanna notes: "I think probably 8 out 10 clients have had an experience or at least tried huffing one time or another in their life,"

Former Soldier Killed by Inhalants

The FayObserver in Fayetteville, NC reports that a combination of prescription pills and computer cleaner recently took the life of Joseph Patrick Dwyer.

31 year old Dwyer was a “former Army medic who became famous after he was photographed helping a wounded Iraqi boy.”

Three years ago, in an interview with Newsday, “Dwyer and his friends admitted that Dwyer abused inhalants.”

Capt. Floyd Thomas of the Pinehurst Police Department states that “bottles of pills and a canister of computer cleaner were found near Dwyer when police entered his home this past Saturday.”

“Dwyer had called transportation on Saturday night to take him to the hospital after an apparent overdose. When the cab driver arrived, Dwyer was lying on the floor. Dwyer told the driver he could not get to the door, according to the police report.The driver called police, who kicked in the door of the Longleaf Drive home at Dwyer’s request.”

“Help me, please,” Dwyer told police through his front door. “I’m dying. Help me. I can’t breathe.”

After being loaded into an ambulance, medics performed CPR, according to the police report. He was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m.

Inhalant Abuse on the Rise in India

According to the Calcutta Telegraph, inhalant abuse amongst teens in India is on the rise.

“S. Haque Nizamie, the director of the Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), said the use of inhalants among children is increasing at an alarming rate.” The director added, “cases of inhalants are increasing day by day” and children are mostly using inhalants while in school, without parents or teachers even realizing it.

The article points out that most of the children are “between the age group of 13 and 16 years” and “this month around 15 cases of substance use and inhalants were received at the child psychiatry ward of the CIP.”

Products used include: petrol, diesel, kerosene, whitener, fevicol, cough syrups and brown sugar.

Change to Student Handbook in Pennsylvania

From the Clearfield Progress in Pennsylvania:

The revised Glendale School District student handbook was officially approved by the school board last Monday---one of the new addictions concerns inhalants.

“Another major addition is under the drug and alcohol policy. The district has added whiteout to the list of inhalants. That category also includes gasses, solvents, butane, propane and adhesives.”

Drug Education Forum

Thank you to Drug Education Forum for highlighting our program in a recent post.

In the posting they profiled our Inhalant Abuse Prevention Kit, which will allow so many more parents and communities to become aware of this free preventative resource. They also provided a link to the electronic downloadable version of the Kit, which has already led to a high number of downloads since their post was made active.

According to their site, the “Drug Education Forum is the umbrella body for national organisations committed to improving drug education in England.”

Inhalant Death in Pennsylvania

From WTAJ in Altoona, Pennsylvania

A 34 year old man died early Saturday morning after inhaling “dusters.”

The article notes, “Dusters is a chemical used to clean computer keyboards. Police officers say huffing is a larger problem than people realize because of the easy access to household items used for sniffing."

Inhalant Abuse Prevention in Other Regions

From Drug Education News, something we'll be closely keeping an eye on:

"The Australian government has published a review of interventions that have been aimed at Volatile Substance Abuse. Here’s what their executive summary says about education interventions:

Australian educational authorities continue to pursue a policy of not providing education about VSM [Volatile Substance Misuse] under school-based drug education programs, on the grounds that such education may inadvertently encourage experimentation with inhalants.

Some information about volatile substances is provided through occupational health and safety training. In England and Wales, by contrast, schools are required to include information about solvents in drug education programs. The UK Government is currently funding a five-year follow up study of the impact of school-based drug education on subsequent drug use.

Education targeting known inhalants appears to be ineffective when it adopts scare tactics. However, education highlighting the potential impact of VSM on valued activities, such as capacity to play sport, may be useful.

Education about inhalants for parents and professional people likely to come into contact with VSM, such as teachers and welfare workers, and for communities where VSM occurs, has been shown to be of value.

Skills training, remedial education and employment have all been shown to contribute to reducing VSM.

Man Huffing on Church Roof

According to the Mankato Free Press in Minnesota, a 20 year old man was caught “huffing” on the top of a church. The man was allegedly huffing “refrigerant from an air-conditioning unit and “a fire truck with a lift and bucket had to be called to get him down from the roof.”

Vermillion Teen STILL Hospitalized

From Keloland Television News, July 1st 2008

Last week we posted a blog about a South Dakota teen that was hospitalized after huffing compressed air with a friend in a mobile home park. That teen is still in the hospital, two weeks after the incident and a formal investigation is underway. Authorities say that the fact that she is still in the hospital is a sign that she faces some serious injuries that she could be dealing with for the rest of her life. And while we cannot find out her condition because of medical privacy laws, police say this case shows just how dangerous "huffing" can be.

Police are using this story as an opportunity to educate teens and their parents about the hidden dangers of inhalants. Police chief Art Mabry says “parents need to get involved with their kids,” and visit the websites their kids are on because many are learning how to get high from popular online sites.

Many parents and residents in the Vermillion area are taking his advice and keeping a closer watch on their children and their safety.

Inhalant Abuse by Police Recruit

Inhalant Abuse was recently cited as a reason for a police officer’s dismissal. The Washington Post reports that a number of police recruits for the U.S. Capitol Police department were dismissed

“Capitol Police officials have declined to comment publicly. However, letters given to seven of the recruits and obtained by The Washington Post provided a range of reasons for the dismissals.

One of those trainees was also cited for using an inhalant "for the purpose of obtaining a 'high.' "

Students to Recieve Huffing Lessons

From The Popculture Phrasebook, Tuesday, June 24th 2008

British students will get 'gas huffing' lessons in a bid to cut deaths as a result of asphyxiation. New legislation from government will see 13-18 year old pupils receiving instruction on how to get high on gas safely, minimizing risk to their health while maximizing their highs.

In a bid to half the deaths from the popular teenage pursuit of aerosol sniffing, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has ordered school leaders to educate pupils on how best to consume the intoxicants. He wants drug education to mirror sex education, and likens unwanted teen pregnancies to unwanted teenage deaths.

"Teens don't want their young lives ruined by something as petty as death - just as they don't want to fall pregnant before they've had a chance to sniff the beautiful flower of teenage life…”
–Gordon Brown

Teen remains hospitalized after huffing incident

On Thursday, June 19th, two South Dakota teens were ingesting compressed air from a computer keyboard cleaning product, trying to get a high from the chemical vapors. One girl was taken to a Sioux Falls hospital and remained there as of Monday afternoon. Her condition is still not known. The other girl did not require medical treatment, and is being questioned about other details surrounding the case, including if there were others involved in the incident.

Police Chief Art Mabry says that the abuse of inhalants (huffing) is nothing new in Vermillion, South Dakota. “We have seen it for a couple of years, but it’s a little worse now.”

Many of the teens that abuse household products don’t realize that every time they use, they risk brain and organ damage or even death. Inhalants are popular because they are readily accessible, cheap and legal, but children need to be educated on the dangers of these products when they are used incorrectly.

Woman Found Huffing in Store Restroom

From 620 WTMJ and BrookfieldNow.com in Wisconsin:

On June 16th, a 46-year old woman purchased two cans of compressed gas at an Office Max. “She then went to the store's restroom, where she stayed for more than an hour. When employees entered the bathroom to check up on the woman, she was lying on the floor and incoherent.”

“Employees called police, and the woman was taken to the hospital where she was medically cleared. She then was taken to the Sheriff's Department, where she was processed on a state count of disorderly conduct and released.”

Help us in reaching out to the radio station linked above to clear up the misperception that this product is "just air." All too often this misperception leads many children and adults to huff the product, thinking it cannot be dangerous since it is "just air." It is not air. The product contains chemicals that the individuals are introducing into their bodies.

Therefore, please help us in our efforts to change this misperception- or send suggestions on how we can get this preventative message out to even more communities.

Interesting new inhalant data from Carroll County, Arkansas.

The Carroll County News in Berryville, Arkansas reports that at a recent community coalition meeting, results from the 2006 Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment Survey were released.

“All three school districts in Carroll County have participated in the survey annually since 2002. The survey is filled out by students in sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th grades voluntarily and anonymously during one class period.”

The survey is also broken down by “Lifetime Use” of 6^th, 8^th, 10^th, and 12^th grades and “Past 30-Day Use” for the same grades. Percentages for all categories can be found on table 3 of the report:

LIFETIME:
6^th grade county 2005 – 9.6%
6^th grade county 2006 -8.33 %
State 2006 – 9.3%

8^th grade county 2005 – 18 %
8^th grade county 2006 -22.99 %
State 2006 – 15.41%

10^th grade county 2005 -15.2%
10^th grade county 2006 -19.05%
State 2006 -16.35%

12^th grade county 2005 -10.1%
12^th grade county 2006 -13.23%
State 2006 -13.16%

PAST 30-DAY USE:
6^th grade county 2005 -4.9%
6^th grade county 2006 -3.89%
State 2006 -4.10%

8^th grade county 2005 -7.4%
8^th grade county 2006 -6.95%
State 2006 -6.53%

10^th grade county 2005 -5.8%
10^th grade county 2006 -4.76%
State 2006 -5.16%

12^th grade county 2005 -2.2%
12^th grade county 2006 -5.82%
State 2006 -3.08%

Between 2005 and 2006, inhalant use has increased for lifetime: 8^th, 10^th, and 12^th graders and for 30-day use, it has increased for 12^th grade. The percentage increase for all these grades is significant.

In addition, for lifetime inhalant use, county inhalant use compared to state is higher for 8^th, 10^th and 12^th. For 30-day use, county use is higher than state for 8^th and 10^th grade. Here, the most dramatic difference between county and state numbers was for 8^th grade lifetime use. County use is 22.99% while state use is reported at 15.41%.

Inhalant Abuse in Fargo ND

From the Grand Forks Herald:

Ten police officers from Fargo, ND have just completed a two week course and certification process in order to become drug recognition experts.

Officer Chet Decker discussed inhalant abuse. “Officers usually do not encounter a lot of people using inhalants, but there has been an increase in the number of people inhaling spray products used to clean computer keyboards.”

Check out ACE's new and improved social networking sites!

Hello everyone! This is Tori, ACE’s summer intern. I’d like to let everyone know that as an ongoing summer project, I will be updating ACE’s myspace, facebook and other new media sites. If you already have a profile in any of these social networks, please “friend” ACE, invite your friends and let me know what you think of the page.

All the pages are still very new, but if we can get more people checking them out and joining as friends, we will be able to get a full network together, and get the word out about inhalant abuse to a younger audience. I have recently been working on our myspace, facebook and squidoo pages, so please spread the word, invite your friends, and stay safe. Thanks and I’ll talk to you soon!

Lafayette Teens –Update

The Journal and Courier in Lafayette Indiana has updated readers on the status of the three girls injured in a huffing related incident last month.

The three girls have now been released from the hospital.

Detective Shumaker of the Lafayette Police Department is reported as saying "They are all doing pretty well….They are all pretty much recovered… But the girls do have some visible facial scarring and injuries."

Man High from Huffing Scares Family

From the Northwest Florida Daily News in Fort Walton Beach, Florida:

After “huffing the contents of a dust remover canister” a 44 year old man from Texas scared a woman and her two children as he jumped into the passenger of their SUV.

The article notes that the woman was loading her car with groceries when the man “ran in front of the vehicle "acting strange" and then hopped into the passenger seat.” “She screamed and one of the kids screamed and cried, according to a report.”

The man “left after much yelling, then told investigators he had heard the woman arguing with another person and came over to see what was wrong. He said he thought he only leaned into the SUV, and if he actually sat in it, he couldn't remember.”

Less Inhalant Risk in North Dakota

From the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota:

More than 9,750 North Dakota students in grades nine through 12 recently took part in the 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The survey is “conducted every two years by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and the North Dakota Department of Health.”

The survey results were released earlier this month and revealed: “North Dakota students are at less risk, however, of lifetime inhalant use — sniffing glue, breathing in contents of aerosol cans, inhaling paints or sprays — with about 11 percent saying they’ve tried it, to 13 percent nationwide.”

New Local Illinois Data.

From the Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette in Illinois:

“The Paxton-Buckley-Loda school board learned from a student survey about the exposure some of their students have had to drugs and alcohol and their experiences with bullying.”

The survey revealed that 13% of the school’s 8^th-graders had tried inhalants.

“The Illinois Youth Survey is given each year to students in the sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th grades. The focus of the survey is to follow student trends – this year, those concerning drugs and alcohol.”

More information on the statewide survey, including results from the mid 90s through 2006 can be found on the Illinois Youth Survey Site.

D.A.R.E. Graduation in Florida

Following up on the previous post, 5th graders in Santa Rosa Florida also recently celebrated their graduation from D.A.R.E.

The Santa Rosa Press Gazette in Florida printed the local winning D.A.R.E. essay. Upon completion of the program the students are required to write an essay detailing what they learned in the sessions. "A top winner is selected from each of the fifth grade classrooms, and from those winners one essay is selected as the best."

The winning essay includes a few mentions regarding inhalant abuse:

Winning D.A.R.E. Essay
by Destiny Redd

• "I learned a lot of important things that I never knew in D.A.R.E. Now I know how to make healthy choices. It also helped me to make good decisions in any situation. I learned how to get out of risky situations."
  
  
• "Facts about inhalants: Headaches, muscle weakening, abdominal pain, severe mood swings, and violent behavior. Numbness and tingling of hands and feet, decrease or loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, and lots more effects could happen. Hundreds of legal household products can be sniffed or huffed to get high. All inhalants can be toxic"
  
  
• "So all of these different types of drugs, I never would of thought that they could do so much harmful things to your body. Especially the inhalants because a little kid could sniff one of the inhalants and that little kid could get high"
  
  
• "I am so excited that I learned these facts about tobacco, marijuana, alcohol and other drugs that hurt our body. But if my friend ever tried to make me do something like all that stuff, I would just tell them “If you are my friend you wouldn’t try to make me do something I don’t wanna (sic) do.” And I’d walk away. The kids and teens that do tobacco, marijuana, alcohol and other bad drugs, they are not very smart because they’re messing up their life. I don’t care if I’m cool or not, but I think the people that do that stuff are the ones that are not cool. I’m glad I learned about things. So I thank you D.A.R.E."

NH Children Learn About Inhalants

From the Rockingham News in Exeter, NH:

Approximately 120 children recently attended a local D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) field day in New Hampshire.

From the following statement within the article it seems inhalant abuse was part of the discussion and the preventative message reached the children. Thank you D.A.R.E.

“As they wandered from exhibit to exhibit, Fremont fifth-graders Cameron Breton and Matt Dupras said they "learned a lot" in D.A.R.E."We learned how to say no to drugs," Matt said. And they learned why: "Drugs can affect your whole body," he said.Cam added, "Inhalants can kill you the first time you use them."

12 Year Old Boy Severely Burned After Huffing

From the Sunday Star Times (New Zealand) earlier this week.:

A 12 year old boy “huffed flyspray through his jacket” and then set himself on fire using a lighter. He suffered severe burns and remains in the hospital.

The article notes: “They could see "ice cubes" of residue on his clothes from the spray. "He was high and he was just being stupid," says the 12-year-old who passed him the lighter. "I told him not to do anything stupid... Then he lit the shirt... It just started out as a little patch." The fire quickly spread and the group started yelling at the boy to "stop, drop and roll". But he panicked, running away from them.

The shirt “burned for about 45 seconds” before his 14 year old friend caught him and ripped the shirt from him. The article quotes the 14 year old as saying, "I carried him on my shoulders to the fountain. He had bubbles all on his chest. His whole chest was burned. He was like, `take me home, take me home'."

Instead, the 14 year old carried the 12 year old from the foundation to the “Aquatic Centre next door, put him in a cold shower, and rang for an ambulance.”

Inhalant Abuse- Likely Cause of Developer’s Death

According to the Oviedo-Winter Springs Voice in Oviedo, Florida, a local developer’s death on the evening of June 3rd was most likely attributable to inhalant abuse.

Seminole County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kim Cannaday stated that the 40 year old male “likely died of a heart attack after inhaling the contents of aerosol cans.” The preliminary autopsy findings noted "cardiac arrest due to fluorocarbon toxicity in the bloodstream.”

The article further reveals that he was found unresponsive and several cans of compuer dusting spray "were found littering his home and in the room where his body was found.”

Partnership Releases New Parent Data

Yesterday morning at a virtual press conference (webinar) the Partnership for a Drug-Free America announced a new resource for parents. At the same time it also released its Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) Parents 2007 Report.

PATS is “an annual study that is the largest drug-related attitudinal tracking study in the country.” The 2007 study included 1,045 parents or caregivers of children ages 10-19 (margin of error +/-3 percent).

The report includes one section regarding inhalant abuse: Chart 3 on page 8.

• “Only 1 in 4 (25%) of parents feel “extremely prepared to know the types of household products that children/teens inhalant to get high.”
  
  

Huffing Related Crash in Michigan

According to the Midland Daily News, earlier this week a 16 year old male was huffing computer dusting spray while driving.

He then passed out behind the wheel and caused a crash that injured his passengers.The car "went off the roadway, destroyed an information sign, and crashed into a stand of pine trees." The driver was "ticketed for reckless driving and released to his parents."

The article quotes Midland Acting Police Chief Bob Lane. "It's a very dangerous situation....The kids have no clue what this stuff does to you."

Binge Drinking and Inhalant Abuse

In this morning’s news alerts, we came across an interesting item regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s new campaign “Let’s Make it a Safe Summer. Don’t Serve Alcohol to Teens.”

Towards the end of the release, an interesting note caught our attention: “Teens who drink are at more likely than nondrinkers to ride with a drinking driver; have unwanted, unintended, and unprotected sexual activity; use tobacco; experience interpersonal violence; consider or attempt suicide; and use marijuana, cocaine, or inhalants.”

Called over to the FTC’ Bureau of Consumer Protection and they were extremely helpful in sending the citation to support this statement. “J.W. Miller et al., Binge Drinking and Associated Health Risk Behaviors Among High School Students, 119 Pediatrics 76-85 (2007).

The table includes “current inhalant use” (which is defined as “sniffed glue, breathed aerosol spray, or inhaled paints one or more times during the past 30 days”)

TABLE 3 (last line) Prevalence and AOR of Risk Behaviors Among US High School Students According to Drinking Status, 2003

• All respondents: 4% current inhalant use.
  
  
• Non-drinkers: 1% current inhalant use.
  
  
• Current Drinkers Who Did Not Binge Drink: 2.7 % current inhalant use. (Adjusted odds ratio: 3.2%)
  
  
• Current Drinkers Who Binge Drank: 8.8% current inhalant use. (Adjusted odds ratio: 12.3%)

The correlation between binge drinking and increased inhalant use is indeed startling.

$200,000 damage in Huffing Related Crash

The West Central Tribune in Minnesota updated readers on the May 2nd huffing related crash.

At 1:15 am on May 2nd, an officer was called to the location for reports of an alarm. He noticed that a van had “crashed through the garage door, damaged walls, spilled oil and footprints leading out the door.” The van had veered off the road “struck a sign, passed over a grassy area and parking lot and went through the garage and into the wall opposite the garage door.”

The 18 year old driver “returned to the scene, was limping, covered with oil and was bleeding from his nose.” He indicated there were four other passengers in the vehicle at the time and that they had been huffing- but he “denied huffing the cleaner. The four other passengers disputed this and one claimed the van swerved off the road when she tried to grab the driver’s arm or the can from his hand.

“According to the petition, Peterson submitted to a blood test after the crash. The sample tested positive for difluoroethane, a chemical found in electronics cleaning and consumer aerosol products.”

One of the passengers suffered a broken leg. Additionally, “some of the spilled oil reached the city’s storm sewers and was contained by booms placed in a nearby county ditch. The day after the crash, shop officials estimated the damage to the building at more than $200,000.”

New Mexico Huffing Case

The Clovis News Journal (Clovis, NM) just released their June 10th local police plotter. Included within the incidents was an inhalant-related one:

”About 9:30 a.m. June 2 an officer responded to a vehicle accident in the 900 block of South Prince Street. Emergency responders told the officer they found a vehicle against a fence with the engine running. They said the female driver was huffing dust remover spray. They took the can away from her and turned off the engine. The woman was arrested at the request of her probation officer.”

Signs Parents Should Watch Out For

Sue Scheff, in her “Is Your Child in Trouble” blog post notes:

“This article from the American Chronicle by Genae-Valecia Hinesman lists and details several signs that parents should watch out for, as they may indicate problems in your child's life. Many of these signals are also applicable for inhalant abuse, but this is a great article to read for any parent.”

She highlights seven signs to be aware of and number six ("Finding Unusual Possessions") specifically mentions inhalant abuse.

“Recently, even glue, industrial products, and cleaning supplies have been used as inhalants (known among teens as "huffing") by kids seeking to get "high"-- often with fatal results. Finding these in your child´s room, pockets, or belongings is just as serious as finding a weapon. More than a red flag, this is a screaming siren!"

Huffing Inhalants in the Military

This morning's news alerts held a sad piece that happened to reference inhalant abuse in the military - specifically with a specific company in Iraq:

“Seems like a pretty good company on the surface, but there are a lot of issues that have come out recently which would make you think otherwise,” McKinney wrote to a friend in an e-mail. “I’ve got guys getting drunk in sector, dudes taking drugs, huffing inhalants, stealing and one who will probably get court-martialed.”

New CDC Youth Inhalant Data

Yesterday, the “Surprising Trends for Youth Risk” post notes, “The figures from the CDC report indicate that youth behaviors are actually improving in many regards. With the exception of inhalant use, the CDC summary indicates that the use of drugs has dropped over the past several years, following increases between 1991 and 1999.”

The report that he is referring to is the recent Centers for Disease Control’s “2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).” And, the inhalant data is indeed startling.

Page 17 of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report’s “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance” outlines the issues in more details. The reporting period covers January – December 2007 and the report “summarizes results from the national survey, 39 state surveys, and 22 local surveys conducted among students in grades 9–12.”

Under “Lifetime Inhalant Use” (page 17 of the report, 19 on your PDF reader) a quick summary of their findings:

• Nationwide 13.3% of students (grade 9-12) have used an inhalant in their lifetime
  
• Lifetime inhalant use was higher for female (14.3%) than male (12.4%) students
  
• Lifetime inhalant use was higher among white female (15.6%) than white male (13.1%) students
  
• Lifetime inhalant use was higher for 9th-grade female (17.2%) and 10th-grade female (16.6%) than 9th-grade male (13.0%) and 10th-grade male (12.5%) students, respectively
  
• Overall, the prevalence of lifetime inhalant use was higher among white (14.4%) and Hispanic (14.1%) than black (8.5%) students
  
• Lifetime inhalant use was higher among white female (15.6%) and Hispanic female (15.5%) than black female (7.9%) students.
  
• Lifetime inhalant use was higher among white male (13.1%) than black male (9.2%) students.
  
• Prevalence of lifetime inhalant use was higher among 9th-grade (15.0%), 10th-grade (14.6%), and 11th-grade (12.5%) than 12th-grade (10.2%) students
  
• Lifetime inhalant use was higher among 9th-grade female (17.2%) and 10th-grade female (16.6%) than 11th-grade female (12.4%) and 12th-grade female (9.7%) students
  
• Prevalence of lifetime inhalant use ranged from 9.8% to 19.2% across state surveys (median: 12.8%) and from 6.9% to 17.4% across local surveys (median: 10.0%)

The survey also provides a good summary in Power Point Slides

While all the findings are alarming, particualrly disturbing are how high the percentages are for the younger grades. Discuss inhalant abuse with your children and encourge as many members of your community to be informed of this issue as possible. Together, we need to see these numbers decline, not increase.

New SAFE Data in Virginia

SAFE (Substance Abuse Free Environment), a nonprofit organization in Chesterfield County, Virginia, recently issued their Prevention Needs Assessment: Youth Survey Results.

In November 2005, the group surveyed youth in grades 8, 10, 12 and in 2007 the group conducted a follow-up study to measure against the 2005 numbers. The 2007 survey was given to 4,500 students and contains interesting inhalant data regarding 8th, 10th, and 12th grade inhalant use.

• Lifetime inhalant use was down 40% (from 19.8 to 11.7 percent).
• Past 30-day inhalant use was down 44% (from 8.2 to 4.6 percent).
• Lifetime use of inhalants by 8th grade students fell from 20% in 2005 to 12% in 2007.
• Past 30-day inhalant use for 8th grade students fell from 8% in 2005 to 5% in 2007.
• Past 30-day inhalant use for 10th grade students fell from 3% in 2005 to 2% in 2007.

The Chesterfield Observer reports, “The 2005 survey indicated eighth-graders had a "much higher problem with inhalants than the national average," and SAFE developed a program to address it." Wayne Frith, executive director of SAFE, “presented the group’s findings late last month at a school board meeting, telling school board members school is a safer environment than home. "It's a community problem, not a school problem," he assured them.”

SAFE's prevention model for inhalant abuse prevention has proven effective and we looking forward to hearing from Mr. Frith on tips we can share with you for implementation in your own communities.

Lafayette Teen Update

The Journal & Courier just reported that the three teens involved in the car explosion last week still remain hospitalized.

Capt. Bruce Biggs of the Lafayette Police Department notes that two of the 17-year-olds remain in critical condition, including one who is on a ventilator. The third teen is expected to be released soon. The article also notes that the three could "face charges for inhaling toxic vapors, a Class B misdemeanor."

For more information on this incident, please visit our previous post this week.

Teens Injured in Car Explosion

From the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Indiana regarding an alarming inhalant-related incident this past weekend:

Three 17 year old females were taken to the hospital after their car exploded on Friday night. According to Lafayette Police Lt. Jim Taul, the three females had been huffing from an aerosol can inside a parked Honda Accord "when one of them decided to light a cigarette." The flame ignited the fumes, causing an explosion that blew the windows out of the car, he said. "People heard the explosion a block away."

Lafayette Police Officer Perry Amos, a school resource officer, was also interviewed. Officer Amos cautioned that huffing can be fatal- even the very first time an inhalant is used. Additionally, he urged all parents to “watch for the warning signs” of use.

For more info on warning signs for inhalant abuse, visit our main informational site. Download the informational brochure and inhalant kit so that you can have this preventative conversation with your child. Having this conversation could possibly save their life.