Pubdate: Sat, 18 Nov 2000
Source: Hamilton Spectator (CN ON)
Copyright: The Hamilton Spectator 2000
Contact:  http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/
Author: Jocelyn Bell

SNIFFING AWAY THE MISERY

TRAGEDY OF THE INNU: The child who huffs gas or glue from a bag can be as 
young as eight or not much older than twice that -- usually poor, a victim 
of prejudice, deprivation or abuse -- and dicing with death. The child 
opens his mouth and holds a plastic bag containing a few splashes of 
gasoline against his face. The gas was meant for a motor boat or a 
snowmobile. But it can also take away the pain.

With a quick intake of breath, toxic fumes are gulped down into pink lungs.

The vapours make their way into the bloodstream and rapidly reach the brain 
and other organs. His breathing and heartbeat slows down.

Within 30 seconds he feels drunk, a euphoria that will last four or five 
minutes.

As he exhales, his warm and reeking breath heats the gas in the bag and 
more gases evaporate into his mouth.

He could be from any level of society and from any part of the world. He 
could be one of the 40 troubled children that Labrador Innu leaders have 
asked the Newfoundland government to take from their homes to save them 
from addiction.

He takes another breath. Some of the toxins in his body will be broken down 
and excreted through the kidneys. Some of it will be sweated out or exhaled 
unchanged. The scent of gasoline will hang on his breath for hours.

If he continues, his speech will slur, his ears will ring, he'll get dizzy 
and have trouble focusing his eyes. He could become disoriented and 
nauseated. He could hallucinate or just get a headache.

Sniffing could be lethal if he falls asleep and asphyxiates on the bag. It 
could kill him if, in his intoxication, he believes he's invincible and 
steps into traffic. Heart attack is also a real possibility if the abuser 
is startled or tries to run while he's high.

Solvent abuse is predominantly a children's addiction. Most users are male 
and between eight and 16.

They sniff together as a social activity. Gasoline, paint thinner, Liquid 
Paper, glue, shoe polish, aerosols and lighter fluid -- if it has a scent 
they'll try it.

Solvent abuse is highest where kids live in poverty, suffer prejudice, lack 
of opportunity, or are abused emotionally, physically or sexually. They 
often have at least one alcoholic parent.

In a 1989 survey of Ontario students in grades 7 to 13, 2 to 3 per cent had 
sniffed glue or solvents in the previous year.

In a study of First Nations and Inuit communities, almost half of the 
communitiesthat responded said solvent abuse was a problem for their children.

Another report said up to 50 per cent of children living in isolated 
Canadian villages abuse solvents.

A treatment manager for the Ka-Na-Chi-Hih Solvent Abuse Centre in Thunder 
Bay said the root of the problem is communities that lack the resources to 
support children facing problems.

High-risk addicts come to her for treatment. They are dirty and extremely 
underweight, because solvent abuse kills their appetite. The skin around 
their mouths is red and rashy from close contact with fumes.

The manager says in an isolated community, there's nothing else for kids to 
do besides go out to the airport, watch the planes come in and sniff.

"When they huff they sometimes let out a scream as they exhale. You'll hear 
them all night. It's very eerie."

Over the long term, sniffers put most of their vital organs at risk.

Kidneys can fail or become diseased. The liver ceases to function normally. 
Lungs become inflammed or pneumonic. The heart beats abnormally. Bone 
marrow picks up toxins like benzene, an ingredient in gasoline that can 
lead to severe anemia and leukemia. Blood containing carbon monoxide, 
converted from a paint thinner ingredient called methylene chloride, 
prevents oxygen from gettingto the brain. This could mean brain damage.

The Canadian Aboriginal Youth Network, posted an online survey asking kids 
to explain why people sniff.

"Sniffing has become a sort of family heirloom passed down through the 
generations," wrote one "half Inuit" 18-year-old from North Vancouver. "But 
I also believe sniffing is a result of laziness and the inability to 
motivate oneself into finding more productive ways to deal with everyday 
problems that arise."

Another message came from a girl in Goose Bay, Labrador.

"My cousin lives in Davis Inlet. I think he sniffs because it is a good 
escape from the hell he has to live in up there. He's at the point now 
where he doesn't care about anything and I wish I could help him before he 
really hurts himself."

A respondent with the alias 'piro maniac' sent in a brief reply from 
Cadotte Lake, Alta.

"To get high and feel like a fool."
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart