Howard Wolfe is the Director of the New England Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition. He started working on inhalant abuse with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in 1994, as a founding member of Massachusetts Inhalant Abuse Task Force. The task force developed an educational campaign called, “A Breath Away,” in response to a dramatic increase in incidents of inhalant abuse in Massachusetts in the early 1990’s. The goal of the program, which also formed the foundation for his current organization, was to educate as many adults as possible who have an ongoing relationship with kids.
What is the New England Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition?
The New England Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition was founded based on a 2003
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Grant to Howard Wolfe and the New England Institute for Addiction Studies. The goal was to disseminate best practices in inhalant abuse prevention and treatment to all of New England.
Has the Coalition been successful?
The results of the initial attempts was an incredible one year, 27% drop in first time use, which means an astonishing 50,000 kids in New England chose NOT to start using inhalants. The latest data shows that New England continues to improved upon this drop; inhalant use is down 40% from the project base-line (2005). (Data is from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.)
How did you accomplish this?
Early on we did research that showed that adults were in the dark about inhalants, but many kids knew. We developed a website for parents, www.InhalantAbuseTraining.org, a 20 minute training which teaches parents about inhalants, how to spot use, and contains scripts to assist parents of all aged kids to start a conversation with their kids about the dangers of inhalant abuse and safe use of products. Inhalants are never referred to as drugs (unless they already see it as a drug), and there is no mention of getting “high,” but rather they are referred to as poisons, pollutants, toxins, and fire and explosion hazards, which is what these products become when misused. The coalition worked with the existing prevention and treatment systems in each state to enhance their effectiveness with inhalant abuse best practices. For more information about our approach, go to www.inhalantprevention.org .
Have you seen any negative trends lately?
Though New England rates of abuse are now at historic lows, products that have no odor or residue are becoming more popular. Because their use is hard to detect, people are able to abuse products in their bedrooms, at work or in cars. The result is an increase in dangerous activities like using inhalants while driving or at work (on ladders, for instance).
What is next for the New England Inhalant Abuse Coalition?
Our goal now is to take what we have learned about best practices in inhalant abuse prevention and treatment and share them with other parts of the US. We are also seeking to engage the federal government as well. Inhalants are the only drug for which there are no federal laws and no national policy.
In your opinion, what do you think is the most important thing for parents and
communities to know about inhalant abuse?
We can prevent a lot of inhalant abuse just by spreading our “Key Messages” to anyone who has a relationship with a child or teen. Those messages are:
1. More than 1,000 everyday products, including cleaning, office, and art supplies, sol¬vents, gases, and shop chemicals have the potential to be abused as inhalants.
2. Inhalants are actually poisons, pollutants, toxins, and fire hazards. They are made of crude oil and were never meant to be inhaled.
3. These products are safe when used as directed, but when vapors are concen¬trated and breathed in, they can become dangerous and deadly.
4. There is no level of safe use for inhalants. 33% of deaths are the result of first time use.
5. Inhalants can be addictive, both psychologically and physically. There are roughly as many inhalant addicts as heroin ad¬dicts in this country.
6. Inhalants can cause permanent damage to the nervous system, lungs, liver, kid¬neys, and brain.
7. More kids are using inhalants than adults think – and at earlier ages. Along with tobacco and alcohol, it is one of the first drugs that children will try. Nationally, nearly one out of five 8th through 12th graders has intentionally inhaled to get high. Recent data suggest growing interest in inhalants by older teens and adults.
8. We can prevent inhalant abuse by being aware of the problem and talking to children about product safety, reading warning labels on products and modeling safe use and safe storage.
For more information, visit www.InhalantAbuseTraining.org.
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