When Prevention Fails or Comes Too Late:
By: Harvey Weiss the Executive Director of the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition
At a recent meeting I mentioned data included in this and our last UPDATE and was challenged about the data’s accuracy. This sort of reminded me of the old Rodney Dangerfield line, “I can’t get no respect.” Or should I say, inhalants can’t get no respect!
Inhalant abuse is generally not the first thing that crops up when people talk or write about major substance abuse challenges; especially among adults. Meth, crack and heroin ring out but who would guess more adults “huff” than get involved in these substances. As perspective and to link some concerns together, I’ll cite a few facts that are elaborated on in our last UPDATE and this one:
Any time an inhalant is used or experimented with, it could be a fatal episode;
• Inhalants are usually the first substance a young person experiments with;
• Among 12 or 13 year olds, more kids “huff” than do any other illicit substance;
• For all people 12 and older, more people abuse inhalants than use meth, cocaine, heroin, oxycontin, LSD or sedatives;
• More people over the age of 18 are in treatment for inhalant dependence than are individuals younger than 18; and
• At least 280 inhalant related deaths were reported to the NIPC last year.
I would be the first to concur that the problems associated with use of meth, crack, heroin, oxycontin, LSD and sedatives are important and must be addressed. However we rarely hear the term inhalant abuse uttered with the same frequency or in the same context of alarm as these substances. Maybe it is about time more attention be paid to the substance being abused by more people - INHALANTS. We can no longer say our messages are just for youth but we must expand our audience to embrace adults of all ages.
While education and awareness are the keys to early prevention there must also be ongoing efforts to help people of all ages caught up in the stranglehold of inhalant abuse.
