Pubdate: Tues, 16 Feb 1999 Source: Washington Post (DC) Copyright: 1999 The Washington Post Company Page Z22 Address: 1150 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20071 Feedback: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ Author: Catherine O'Neill Grace, Special to The Washington Post THE WAR ON DRUGS COMES HOME Last week, Vice President Gore announced that the war on drugs is still being fought. While recent studies show that drug use among young people declined in 1997 and 1998, our country still has more work to do, he said. The vice president, who was announcing the White House's plan to cut the U.S. drug problem in half by the year 2007, said that keeping kids off drugs is the top goal of the program. He said that if children can make it to adulthood drug-free, they are very likely to avoid addiction for the rest of their lives. When people talk about "drugs," they usually mean illegal substances like marijuana, cocaine and heroin that people use to get "high." But there are hundreds of household products that are abused in similar ways by people who sniff them. Many of the people who abuse these products, which are known as inhalants, are young people. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that one of every five eighth-graders has abused inhalants. Household products that are abused include model airplane glue, nail polish remover, cleaning fluids, hair spray, gasoline, spray paint, fabric protector, air conditioner fluid and cooking spray. These products, which all have important uses for which they have been designed, can be very dangerous when people choose to abuse them. People who abuse inhalants, who are sometimes called "huffers," may feel stimulated, disoriented, out-of-control, giddy, lightheaded or even violent, according to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. The substances can also produce a variety of unpleasant physical effects, including nausea, ringing in the ears, nosebleeds, double vision, chest pain, muscle and joint aches, and loss of coordination. In addition, inhalants can injure the heart and liver and cause severe damage to the brain and nervous system. In extreme cases, inhalant abuse can starve the body of oxygen, causing a person to pass out or even die. Some companies that make products that are abused as inhalants have joined in efforts to prevent the abuse. SC Johnson & Son Inc., for example, has added warnings to its Candle Scent Air Fresheners. The company is also working with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America to warn children and teens of the dangers of inhalant abuse. In a video for parents called "Educate: Creating Inhalant Abuse Awareness Together," Deloris Jordan, the mother of retired basketball star Michael Jordan and author of a book on parenting, says: "I know that talking to your children about difficult subjects can be a challenge. However, finding new ways to comfortably discuss things that can harm them is critical." If you would like to be able to talk over the dangers of inhalants with your family, ask an adult you trust to find out more about the video, which has been distributed to more than 300,000 people since it was released in October. (See "Tips for Parents," below, for details.) Kids often try dangerous things because "everybody's doing it." Because inhalants are so dangerous, it's especially important to fight against them as part of your own personal war on drugs. The simplest way to avoid the dangers of inhalants is not to try them. Tips for Parents For more information about the "Educate" video and an accompanying brochure, contact the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition at 1-800-269-4237, the American Council for Drug Education at 1-800-488-DRUG or the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686. For You to Do National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information "For Kids Only" Web site (www.health.org/kidsarea) lists some ideas that kids can try as alternatives to trying drugs or inhalants. Here are four ideas to get you started. Fill in the rest of the list with your own ideas. If someone asks you to try a harmful substance, say, "No, I'm smart! I'd rather. . . 1. Call a friend. 2. Be nice to myself . . . (sing, dance, read, swim, draw . . . ) 3. Get involved. Help other people or join a group. 4. Dream about what I want to be or who I want to be like. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake