Most parents know that marijuana is the most commonly abused illegal drug among teenagers, But these same parents may be unaware that the second most popular category of abused drugs -- inhalants -- contains substances that are commonly found in many households:

• Common inhalants are rubber cement, paint thinner, nail polish remover, gasoline, correction fluid, and bleach.
• Teenagers use these substances to get a quick high by sniffing them from open containers or "huffing" from a rag held to the face after soaking it in the substance.
• Many people believe that inhalants are not harmful, but the truth is they can cause health problems and even death.
• Long-term health problems are damage to the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and brain.

Signs of inhalant abuse are a chemical smell on clothing, mouth sores, runny eyes and nose, and appearing drunk or dazed.

Labels: inhalants, marijuana

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a 304-page report on drug and alcohol use in 2008. There were few surprises or changes in the rates of use from other years.

• The use of illegal drugs among teenagers has remained about the same since 2005.
  
• Among children ages 12 to 17 years old, 11.6 percent used such drugs in 2002, compared to 9.3 percent in 2008.
  
• Use of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons dropped from 4 percent in 2002 to 2.9 percent in 2008.

However, among people above the age of 12 years, the non-medical use of painkillers is “an area of concern,” according to the report. About 2.18 million people tried these substances for the first time in 2008.

When it comes to other forms of illicit drug use, marijuana and inhalants remain the most popular choices, SAMHSA reports:

• People under 18 years old tend to use marijuana and inhalants more than other illegal drugs.
  
• The average age of trying these two drugs is about sixteen years old.
  
• The average ages for trying heroin and tranquilizers are 23 and 24 years old, respectively.
  
• People start experimenting with Ecstasy, stimulants, cocaine, and LSD around ages 19 to 20.

Problem drinking among college students remains a concern:

• Among full-time students ages 18 to 22 years old, 61 percent were drinkers, 41 percent were binge drinkers, and 16 percent were heavy drinkers.
  
• The rates for those in that age group not enrolled in school were 54 percent drinkers, 38 percent binge drinkers, and 13 percent heavy drinkers.
  
• Sixty-eight percent of college graduates drink compared to 37 percent of non-graduates. However, non-graduates had higher rates of binge and heavy drinking.

Labels: binge drinking, drug use, inhalants, marijuana, prescription drugs, research, underage drinking

An alarmingly large number of Maine teenagers using inhalants to get high, an activity that is often referred to as “huffing.” For example, more than 20 percent of eighth graders in a Maine School District have tried huffing at least once.

But in the last few years, parents and school officials have increased their prevention efforts, and a June 24 article in the Republican Journal newspaper indicates that these efforts have garnered national attention:

Of those teens who die each year from inhalants, 40 percent die while trying it for the first time -- a statistic unknown to most teens or parents. Community efforts have brought the proportion of Five Town CSD eighth-graders trying huffing down to 15 percent in 2008, but too many kids are still taking risks.

"Parents usually have no idea that their kids are experimenting with inhalants, nor do they realize their own home is loaded with products that can be abused," said Dalene Dutton, executive director of Five Town Communities That Care. "Parents can quite literally save their children's lives by making a few simple changes in buying habits and becoming aware of the signs and symptoms of inhalant abuse."

Dutton was recently invited to present the work of the Five Town Communities That Care coalition at a National Academy of Sciences event in Washington, D.C. The successful work of the local coalition in using data and research to address youth behavioral problems is gaining the attention of leaders in Washington and prompted the invitation.

Teen inhalant abuse remains a troubling phenomenon throughout the United States, with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimating that more than 22.9 million Americans have "huffed" at least once in their lives.

Labels: huffing, inhalants, prevention