Inhalants and poisons are all over your house.
They are in your child’s school. In fact you probably picked some up the last time you went to the grocery store or auto supply store. Today, nearly 20 percent of all adolescents report using inhalants at least once in their lives. During the eighth annual “National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week,” March 18-24, whose theme is “Children Act Fast..So do poisons” parents are urged to learn about the dangers of inhalants and how to protect their loved ones from unintentional poisonings.
With all parents have to worry about with their kids, who would have thought that household products would be one of them. Yet kids, sometimes as young as nine or ten, are getting high by using common items found around the house when they sniff (through the nose) or huff them (through the mouth). Airplane glue, rubber cement, paint thinner, nail polish remover, and bleach are just a few chemicals that become “inhalants” when they are used to get high. According to national surveys, inhaling dangerous products is becoming one of the most widespread problems in the country. By the time a student reaches 8th grade statistics say that one in five students will have used an inhalant. Because the products are legal, inexpensive, and readily available, kids often think sniffing them is harmless. But inhalants are dangerous on many levels.
Using inhalants even one time – whether it’s the first time or the 10th – can cause hallucinations, suffocation, or death. “Sudden Sniffing Death” can occur during or right after sniffing, when inhaled chemicals create irregular heartbeats and lead to heart failure. Inhalants can also cause death by suffocation when fumes replace oxygen in the lungs. Although many products can be inhaled, nearly all have the same effects – giddiness, grogginess and intoxication. Using them over a long period of time can cause headaches, muscle weakness, abdominal pain, nausea, nosebleeds, hepatitis, violent behavior, irregular heartbeat, and brain damage.
Use is generally difficult to spot and products are easy to conceal. However some of the signs of inhalant use include paint stains on skin and clothes, spots, sores, or rash around the mouth, unusual breath odor, excessive nausea, vomiting or lack of appetite, or constantly red runny eyes and nose. As evidence of inhalant use, parents should also look for chemical-soaked rags, bags, or socks, paint or stain marks on face, fingers, or clothing.
What can parents do? Put household products in a safe place and clearly mark them “poison.” There are also simple, everyday things you can do to keep your kids away from drugs:
* Be absolutely clear with your children that you don’t want them to use inhalants or other drugs. Don’t leave room for interpretation. Talk often — more than once or twice a year — about the dangers of drug and alcohol use.
* Don’t react in a way that will cut off further discussion. If your child says things that challenge or shock you, respond with a calm discussion of why people use drugs and whether doing so is worth the risk.
* Be involved in your child’s life. Always know where your children are and what they’re doing. Get to know your child’s friends and their parents. And find time to spend with your child each week.
If you would like further information on products that young people are using as inhalants or if you would like to view a video tape on inhalant abuse and prevention entitled “Educate — Creating Inhalant Abuse Awareness Together”, contact Anne Williams, Five County Mental Health Prevention Specialist at 252.431.3461.
For resources, contact Gina DeMent at 252.430.3031.
The National Poison Control Number is 1.800.222.1222.
Remember: Find out about inhalants before your children do.
Carolinas Poison Center
Carolinas Medical Center
5000 Airport Center Parkway, Suite B
Charlotte, NC 28208
Emergency Phone: (800) 848-6946; (704) 355-4000