If you ask a group of kids, "Would you drink a glass of gasoline?" they would say, "No!" You can then tell them that if they intentionally smell it, it's the same as drinking it, if not worse.

Equating poison with inhalants and explaining accidental versus intentional inhaling is an effective way for parents to get the message about inhalants to their kids--before they hit the peak inhalant use age of seventh or eighth grade.

Overall illicit drug use among adolescents has declined since 2001--that's the good news reported by the 2005 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey that measures drug, alcohol and cigarette use by eighth, tenth, and twelfth-graders. The bad news is that lifetime inhalant use by eighth-graders has increased since 2002, with 15.2 percent of eighth-graders reporting inhalant use in 2002 and 17.1 percent in 2005. Also a concern is that the percentage of eighth and tenth-graders that perceive inhalant use as dangerous has declined steadily for the past five years.

Furthermore, "a closer look at the MTF survey data since the early ‘90s shows that girls are using inhalants more than boys," said Harvey Weiss, executive director of the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC).

Though use of inhalants, often called "huffing," is prominent among junior high kids, many parents assume their child "wouldn't do that," so young children don't get essential prevention information early, and sometimes not at all. According to Weiss, "Inhalant use peaks by seventh and eighth grade and kids don't just start it then, so it's never too early to speak to your child about this."

The need for prevention at an early age is the reason Weiss and his organization launch National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week each year about this time (March 19-25). "Parents don't know that inhalants are cheap, legal and accessible products and are as popular among middle school students as marijuana," said Weiss. "Even fewer know the deadly effects the poisons in these products have on the brain and body. Every child is vulnerable to making a choice that will have unintended consequences. The inhalant user can die the first, fifth, or fiftieth time they huff."

Inhaling can cause what is known as sudden sniffing death in an otherwise healthy child.  Because most inhalants are extremely toxic, inhaling can cause long-lasting damage to the brain and nervous system, heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, and damage to cognition, movement, vision, and hearing.

Inhalants are referred to as a "gateway drug" because they are often the first drugs that younger children use. Inhalants are breathable chemical vapors that are intentionally inhaled for mood-altering effects. Younger children often use inhalants rather than other drugs because inhalants are cheap and easily available. Parents don't think of many of these products as dangerous substances, because they are found under the kitchen sink, in the garage, or on the office supply or drug store shelf. Inhalants can include hundreds of products with legitimate uses--household cleaners, spray paint, glue, correction fluid, cosmetics, and gases, to name a few.

Parents should look for changes in behavior and appearance in their children. Behavior changes might include a drunk or disoriented appearance, slurred speech, lack of coordination, irritability, poor concentration, secretiveness, nausea or loss of appetite, and depression. Changes in appearance might include chemical odors on breath or clothing; paint or other stains on face, hands, or clothing; and the presence of chemical-soaked rags or hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers.

Parents should deliver inhalant prevention information when they talk to their kids about the poison prevention message. Weiss said, "The way we approach it is to draw a parallel between inhalants and poisons and explain the difference between accidental and intentional misuse." said Weiss. "If you're not supposed to eat it, don't; if you're not supposed to drink it, don't; and if you're not supposed to smell it, don't."

For more information about inhalants and how to talk to your children about them, contact NIPC at 1-800-269-4237 or go to their Web site at http://www.inhalants.org/. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) offers fact sheets, research reports, and bulletins about inhalant abuse and prevention at www.drugabuse.gov/inhalantsalert/index.html. Hazelden offers "Danger! Toxic Chemicals," an inhalant prevention video for students in grades 5-8; for more information, call 1-800-328-9000.

--Published March 20, 2006