Safe Kids Against Inhalants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Win Tickets to a Rock Cats Game

ACE and the New Britain Rock Cats are teaming up this season, and tickets are available to the May 17th game in Connecticut for families who read this information page and email rockcats@rockcats.com.

The subject line should be "Inhalant Abuse", and the body of the email should describe what you have learned from ACE about the seriousness of juvenile inhalant abuse. Four tickets will be given away per family while supplies last. One fan will be selected to throw out the first pitch.

The first 1,500 kids who attend will get a free Rock Cats/ACE hat. ACE staff will be in attendance to further distribute information.

Malaysian Organization Works to Curb Abuse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Story from Bermana.com, Malaysian National News Agency.

Inhalant Abuse Popular on Street

The Narconon Program of Atlanta, Georgia was featured in TransWorldNews today for their work with reducing inhalant use amongst homeless youth in cities worldwide. They describe the conditions of life on the street and the appeal of inhalants, explaining that,

"One way to stave off hunger pains, and help them forget where they are, is to take drugs. While many children, who can be as young as 5 years old, may drink alcohol, smoke weed, or do other hard drugs, the majority prefer to “fly,” huffing glue.

Yes, glue. Glue made to repair shoes is the drug of choice for these homeless children. For a few pennies, which they can always beg, or steal (borrowing is not in their vocabulary), the pain brought on by hunger, heat, cold, or the simple fact that they were abandoned, can be alleviated by huffing.

Give them an empty soda bottle, or a plastic bag, a few pennies worth of shoe glue, called “Resistol” (trademark) in Latin America, and they can forget. Be happy. Sleep."

They have several initiatives in place in order to combat this trend, such as an orphanage in Honduras, which

"has been getting kids off the streets and into a safe environment through dedication of their staff and with the help of Narconon Drug Rehab and other Atlanta charity groups.

Narconon of Georgia helped a Honduran medical doctor establish the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program in this orphanage to aid in the growing epidemic of addicted street orphans in their country.

The sauna program had astounding results with the children and has been praised by the Dr. Vega as being beneficial to the children in their drug rehab efforts."

One of the counselors at the orphanage stated that,

"The children arrive here and behave like little animals. They have no moral code, won't listen to anyone, run wild. However, the Narconon Sauna Program removes the toxins from their bodies and they become happier, more social, like little children again. They become social people."

Mary Rieser, Narcanon's Executive Director, says that

“Narconon of Georgia staff have a special place in their heart for children. It is one thing to admit a full grown adult into drug rehab, but to see a young child passed out in the streets because they are drunk or high is very sad. These children have no hope unless we do something about it.”

There is also a video available with the article that further explains these issues.

SAFE Education in Virginia

The Chesterfield Observer of Chesterfield County, Virginia printed a front-page story about inhalant use yesterday. Virginia as a state as well as this particular region have been at the forefront of raising awareness about inhalants. SAFE (Substance Abuse Free Environment) is piloting programs in Carver, Swift Creek, and Salem Church middle schools. Sharyl Adams, SAFE's substance abuse prevention specialist, says that,

"If we hadn't gotten the survey results showing that we were twice the national average regarding inhalant abuse, quite frankly, we wouldn't be doing this."

Carver Middle School held the SAFE workshop in April, and Principal Don Ashburn recognized the immediate impact that it had on teachers:

"There was a bit of shock and ah-ha moments for our teachers. It was like seeing the piece of a puzzle come together. Sometimes in the past, teachers have seen a child with declining grades. They've made contact with the parents, the parents have conducted drugtesting and then you have this training and you go 'okay, it's clear to me now'" in realizing that inhalant abuse might just be the cause."

The article also mentioned SAFE's sponsorship of Sgt. Jeff Williams, along with his message of,

"Teachers, parents say, 'Don't tell the kids because then they'll try it.' My message is they already know, so we have to talk with our kids about it."

In addition, several good tips were presented at the end of the article, such as -

Tips for Educating Your Child:

• Beginning at an early age, talk about poison prevention and product safety.
• Read labels with your child and teach him/her how to do so.
• Talk to him/her about the serious effects of abusing products.
• Reinforce peer resistance skills and practice these with your child.
• Highlight that inhalants are poisons rather than drugs.

As well as:

Long-term effects of inhalant use:

• Memory loss
• Impaired vision
• Loss of coordination
• Slurred speech
• Reduced lung function
• Bone marrow damage
• Muscle weakness
• Depression
• Dementia

Inhalant Abuse Prevention Awareness Institute

This conference, presented by the Virginia Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition, was held on March 12th in Staunton, VA. The Coalition consists of a group of concerned prevention professionals and educators who are dedicated to raising awareness of inhalant abuse by providing factual information and resources in an effort to decrease inhalant use across the state.


On the night of the 11th, an inhalant prevention summit was held and included all the leaders in the field. Wayne Frith, the facilitator for the evening, engaged the participants on how to utilize the most effective strategies to spread the message at both the community and the national level.

It went very well and a number of interesting topics were presented, such as:

The Tragedy of Inhalant Abuse - this the first topic, presented by Sgt. Jeff Williams. He spoke about losing his son to inhalant abuse and played several YouTube videos to highlight children's exposure to inhalants as being cool.

Inhalant Abuse Basics - Dr. Robert Balster of the Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University explained what are inhalants as well as why and how they are abused.

Communities in Action - representatives from three different communities shared their approaches to inhalant abuse.

Teaching Kids About Inhalants - the updated Inhalant Abuse Prevention Manual was used to explain the principles for teaching young people about inhalants.

ACE was glad to be a part of this conference and to have our Inhalant Prevention Kits handed out to all attendees.

We'll be working with the Coalition for the next two years as they reach towards their goal of decreasing inhalant abuse in Virginia by 2009.

Kentucky and NIPAW

The Bowling Green Daily News, in anticipation of NIPAW (National Inhalant and Poisons Awareness Week), ran a story about inhalant abuse yesterday. In studies, one in four Kentucky youths have tried inhalants at some point in their lives. Amy Hutchinson, the coordinator of the Monroe County Alliance for Inhalant Prevention, stated that

“Right now our goal is to do all we can to educate parents and students about the harmful and even deadly effects the poisons in these products can have on the brain and body. It’s a serious cause for concern that not many people know about. Plus it is considered a ‘gateway’ drug, which means that it often leads to the use of illegal drugs."

On teaching parents about inhalant abuse in their children:

"We encourage parents to educate themselves; to learn what is being used and how these products are being used. They need know what is readily available in their own homes. We also urge them to focus on safety when they talk to their kids. Inhalants are not drugs. They are poisons and toxins and should be described as such. Users can die the first, 10th or 100th time a product is misused as an inhalant. Even if they’ve done it before, there is no way to know how the next time will affect them.”

Monroe County is one of two counties in Kentucky that has received federal funding for its willingness to address the problem of inhalant abuse.

New Virginia Inhalant Prevention Coalition Chair

Marta Szuba, the current CADRE coordinator, has been given a chair position at the Virginia Inhalant Prevention Coalition. Other members on the board include representatives from the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia State Board of Education, poison control, and the governor's office.


The Prevention Coalition is holding a town hall meeting on March 11th featuring Sgt. Jeff Williams, as well as an Inhalant Institute on March 12th to educate local residents about inhalant abuse. They will also be releasing a new inhalant curriculum to be used in all elementary, middle, and high schools in Virginia.

Photo courtesy of the News Leader.

Teens Teach Elementary Schools

Woodmore Elementary School in Port Clinton, Ohio runs a program called TAG, an acronym which stands for Teen Advisor Group. It's comprised of teenage students from the local high school, and they are carefully screened for being drug and alcohol free, being active in their school, and having good grades. They need to be able to afford to miss school once a month in order to talk to elementary schools about medicines, marijuana, drugs, and inhalants. Two teens are assigned to each class, and they always present their information to the same group of kids so that they can develop a good rapport. It seems to be working:

At the end of the year, Wendt asks the students in 4th through 6th grades to fill out an evaluation measuring what they learned through the TAG programs. "It's amazing, some of the comments they come up with," she said. Student responses have been very positive. Some have written, "I hope I can be in TAG when I get older," and "I wish you could come every day."

The TAG program is taking their message a step farther and doing something new this year. Next month, TAG members will present "Take It Back," a youth-led forum presented to the community on the responsibility of the town to protect its youth from the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

This forum will be held March 6th from 6:30 - 7:30. We applaud Woodmore and their efforts to teach children about inhalant abuse at an early age.

First Spanish Kit Recipient

ACE would like to take this opportunity to profile our very first Spanish Kit usage in Los Angeles, California. It was presented by Antonio Roque, the IMPACT advisor working with the Health Education Programs for the Los Angeles United School District. We asked Mr. Roque to describe his experience with the kit, and the response is reprinted below.

Making an IMPACT on Inhalant Abuse

My first experience with inhalant abuse happened when I was a student in Mrs. Stuart’s 7th grade Art Class. Flaco, a skinny kid already on a dubious path, ducked under the work table we shared to pick up a pencil he had intentionally dropped. Instead of picking up the pencil right away, he reached in the pocket of his black cholo jacket and proceeded to take out a pair of stuffed socks which he sprayed with an aerosol can, and which he then pushed onto his beaked nose and inhaled deeply as if it were his last breath! After a minute or so, he came back up with the pencil in his hand and had a very bleary gaze.

At that time, in the early 1980’s, the slang term for inhaling to get high was “sniffing,” now it’s “huffing” or “bagging” or “chroming.” In my 15+ years of working for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), this particular inhaling problem appears to rise and fall, a pattern that has been linked to young persons’ perception of the risks of inhalants…and this pattern appears to be on the rise again. Only this time, by all indications, the problem is affecting youngsters not only from the inner city but also from all over the country, from all socioeconomic backgrounds, and with parents with high and low levels of education.

As an educator, and adviser for LAUSD’s IMPACT Program, it is my responsibility to educate school staff, as well as parents on the dangers of inhalant abuse. As a large population of our students are Spanish speakers, the Alliance for Consumer Education’s Prevencion contra el Abuso de Inhalantes (Inhalant Abuse Prevention) will become an indispensable resource and tool in creating awareness among the parents of our youths.

This presentation kit comes complete with a video introduction “to set the scene”, a Power Point presentation, a Facilitator’s Guide, a guide on frequently asked questions, pamphlets on what parents need to know, and a glossy, eye-catching poster.

IMPACT is the name of LAUSD’s prevention and early intervention curriculum-based, student assistance program for secondary schools. The program is designed to provide students with the skills and support required for them to make positive life choices. The goal of IMPACT is to improve student achievement. IMPACT is not an acronym. It is so named because it makes a positive impact on students’ lives. IMPACT provides a system for the identification, referral, and support of students who are exhibiting behavior of concern related to possible substance abuse and/or violence. Currently, there are 69 middle and senior high schools with an IMPACT Program. Each school with a Program has an IMPACT Coordinator and a Core Team of teachers and other staff members who are responsible for implementing and maintaining the components of the Program.

Due to frequent requests from our Coordinators for additional resources on inhalant abuse, I have recommended that Coordinators contact and request the Inhalant Abuse Prevention Kit from The Alliance for Consumer Education. Part of their responsibilities as Coordinators of the program is to conduct staff developments at their given schools and to provide parent awareness component, such as presentations on alcohol and other drug abuse among teenagers.

In the following weeks I will be conducting presentations using both the English and Spanish language Inhalant Abuse Prevention Kit for IMPACT Coordinators, school counselors, teachers, and other school personnel. I will also be presenting this all too
important information to parents in the hopes of creating awareness on the dangers of inhalant abuse. Inhalant abuse is an issue that needs greater attention not only in our schools, but in our communities as well.

We're very pleased that the launch of our Spanish kit is turning out to be such a success. We look forward to distributing more in the future.

Drug and Alcohol Survey in Texas

350,000 students in grades 4-12 are taking the Texas School Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use, which asks age-appropriate questions in order to procure the most accurate information about what substances children have used in the past. Their most recent survey from 2004 provides some startling facts about inhalants. For children in grades 4 through 6, inhalants were the second most common drug, with more children using them than cigarettes and marijuana combined. Other interesting facts taken from the survey:

• The average age that elementary students first used inhalants was 9.4 years.
• Increases in inhalant use between 2002-2004 were larger in girls than in boys.
• Students not living with both parents were more likely to report inhalant use than students from two-parent families.
• The most commonly used inhalant was correction fluid, followed by glue, spray paint, and gasoline.
• More than half of lifetime inhalant users admitted having used at least two different kinds of inhalants.

From the survey of students in grades 7-12:

• Younger students were two to three times more likely to use inhalants than older students.
• An average of 17% of high-school students have used inhalants.
• 54% of students thought that it was easy or somewhat easy to get inhalants.
• Correction fluid and liquid or spray paint were the most common inhalants, followed by nitrous oxide, gasoline, and paint thinner.

To reiterate: it is never too early to start talking to your kids about inhalant use.

Drug Prevention

February 10-16 is the National Drug Prevention and Education Week, introduced by Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Charles Grassley from Delaware and Iowa, respectively. Both senators hold seats on the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. From Senator Grassley:

"This resolution urges communities to engage in the dialogue that will help stop drug use before it ever starts. The more people talk about and understand the dangers of drugs, the better off we'll be."

This week is also a good time for parents to discuss inhalant use with their children if they have not already done so.

The Community Alliance for Drug-Resistance Education

This organization, more commonly known as CADRE, has implemented in a program in several Virginia high schools to educate teachers and other support staff about inhalant abuse . This is a part of a large community organization to increase awareness about the issue. On February 8th, there will be a Teen Council Meeting in Staunton, VA. On March 11th, there is an Inhalant Abuse Town Hall Meeting at Wilson High School. The following day will be the Virginia State Inhalant Abuse Seminar in Staunton.

It's great that high schools are interested in learning more about inhalants and how to intervene when the students are using them. CADRE is a branch of the Virginia Inhalant Abuse Coalition, which works with the Department of Health, Board of Education, and the Poison Control in Virginia to push for more education and legislation about inhalants.