Pubdate: Sun, 21 Sep 2003
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA)
Copyright: 2003 Richmond Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://www.timesdispatch.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/365
Author: Joe Dombroski
Note: The author is a Richmond-area enforcement supervisor for the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration.

DRUG DANGERS: EVERYDAY PRODUCTS CAN OFFER HIGHS

Another school year has begun across Central Virginia, and anxious parents,
students, and teachers now settle in for new experiences and new challenges. As
the parents of new middle school and high school students pay fees and purchase
school supplies, they begin to worry about peer pressure and the exposure of
their children to drugs and alcohol. Many parents do not realize that there are
substance-abuse dangers inherent in some of the school supplies being purchased
for their students.

Many young teenagers, particularly those in middle schools, start their
exper-imentation with drug/sub-stance abuse when - through word of mouth,
rumor, and classmates - they learn that certain household and school products
can get them high. Inhalants are a diverse group of substances that include
volatile solvents, gases, and nitrites. Inhalant abuse is the deliberate
sniffing, snorting, huffing, or bagging of these products to produce
intoxicating effects. Unlike street drugs, these products are available readily
in homes and schools. It is estimated that about a thousand substances are
misused in this manner.

Many Try Inhalants The accessibility, low cost, legal status, and ease of
transport and concealment make inhalants one of the first substances abused by
children. Some national survey data indicate that 15 percent to 20 percent of
teenage students have tried inhalants. Surveys also show that 2 percent to 6
percent report daily use. The highest incidence of use is among 10- to
12-year-old children. The rates of use decline with age as these children, in
many cases, progress to hard drugs or alcohol.

Volatile solvents are found in products that include nail polish remover,
lighter fluid, gasoline, paint, paint thinner, model glue, rubber glue, waxes,
permanent markers, certain permanent ink products, stains, and varnishes.
Parents should be aware that the following chemicals produce mind-altering
effects: toluene, benzene, methanol, methylene chloride, acetone, methyl ethyl
ketone, methyl butyl ketone, trichloroethylene, and trichlorethane.

The gas found in small lavender metallic containers called "whippets" is
nitrous oxide or "laughing gas," which is the same gas used by dentists for
anaesthesia. It is also used as a propellant in canned whipped cream; however,
the amount used in an entire can of whipped cream is not significant enough to
cause a high. Tiny cloth-covered ampules (similar to those of smelling salts)
contain amyl nitrite, a medication used to dilate blood vessels; these are
called "poppers" or "snappers." Butyl nitrite, sold as a head cleaner for
cassette tape recorders, is referred to as "rush," "locker room," or "climax,"
and is often sniffed or huffed to get high.

Can Be Sniffed, Huffed Inhalants may be sniffed directly from an open container
or huffed from a rag soaked in the substance and held to the face.
Alternatively, the open container or soaked rag can be placed in a bag where
the vapors can concentrate before being inhaled. Some chemicals are painted on
the hands or fingernails or placed on shirt sleeves or wrist bands to enable an
abuser to continually inhale the fumes without being detected by a teacher or
other adult. Although inhalant-abusers may prefer one particular substance
because of taste or odor, a variety of substances may be used because of
similar effects, availability, and cost.

Once inhaled, the extensive capacity of the lungs causes rapid absorption of
the substance into the bloodstream. Entry into the brain is fast, and the
intoxicating effects are short-lived (20 to 30 minutes) but intense. Inhalants
depress the central nervous system, producing decreased respiration and blood
pressure. Users report distortion in the perception of time and space. Many
users experience headaches, nausea, slurred speech, loss of motor coordination,
a staggering gait, red, glassy, watery eyes, and excitability or unpredictable
behavior. Mental effects may include fear, anxiety, or depression. A rash
around the nose and mouth may appear, and the abuser may start wheezing. An
odor of paint or organic solvents on clothes, skin, and breath is sometimes a
sign of inhalant abuse.

The chronic use of inhalants has been associated with a number of serious
health problems. Glue- and paint-thinner-sniffing produce kidney abnormalities,
while the solvents toluene and trichloroethylene cause liver damage. Memory
impairment, attention deficits, and diminished intelligence have been related
to the abuse of inhalants. Deaths resulting from heart failure, asphyxiation,
or aspiration have occurred.

Chemicals, Not Drugs An important fact to remember about the damaging effects
inhalants have on the body is that these are chemicals, not drugs. These
products are not meant for human consumption. When our children were toddlers,
we taught them not to touch the chemicals under our sinks and kept the
poison-control number close to our telephone in case they accidentally ingested
these chemicals.

The damages inhalants cause to a teenager's body are irreversible. As parents
we need to pay attention, stay involved, and educate our children to the danger
of inhalants. We all can take the time to learn at the beginning of this school
year and keep our children safe.
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MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk