Part Of National Inhalants & Poisons Week, March 19–25—

Task Force Reminds Parents

To Talk To Kids About Inhalants

During a recent Newtown workshop for parents and educators, Isabel Burk, an authority on inhalants, spoke about this potentially life-threatening behavior, especially among younger children. But now that a few weeks have passed, the Connecticut Inhalant Task Force, including The Governor’s Prevention Partnership (GPP), is reminding parents across the state to talk to children about the dangers of inhalants.

The GPP is making this plea to parents and caregivers as part of National Inhalants and Poisons Week, March 19–25.

Inhalant abuse is the deliberate inhalation of fumes from common products found in homes, offices, and schools to get high. There are more than 1,000 products (i.e., glues, marking pens, paint thinner, household cleaners, etc) that are classified as an inhalant. Inhalant use can cause brain damage and can lead to death even at the trial stage.

“While inhalant use among youth declined in the mid-1990s, research shows that use is up once again, especially among elementary and middle school students,” said Jill Spineti, GPP director. “What we’re most concerned about is that there is a ‘disconnect’ between young people using and the perception of harm.

“We encourage parents to be educated about the harms of these substances and talk early and often to their children about the risks,” continued Ms Spineti. “It is important for parents to emphasize to children that inhalants are not drugs, but rather poisons and toxins, and this should be discussed accordingly.”

The first line of defense parents need against inhalant abuse is to know what to look for, Ms Burk said during her Newtown visit. Parents need to be alert to clues such as large quantities of a product in a child’s room; paint or chemically stained bags; empty product containers; and aerosol cans with the tops loosened.

“Don’t be afraid to look around your child’s room. When you are cleaning up, putting away, be aware of what is in the room. You are not snooping if you are doing something that might save a life,” she said.

Other signs of inhalant abuse include watery, glassy eyes; severe headaches; a persistent rash on the face; a chemical odor on a child’s breath; or stains on their face, nails, and clothes. These physical signs can also be symptoms of innocent allergic reactions, teenage acne, and illness, though, so it is the physical evidence of inhalant paraphernalia that parents must learn to recognize

Paper towel holders stuffed with used paper towels in the garbage can indicate inhalant abuse. Plastic bags filled with opened permanent markers or cloths and bags stained with unidentified solutions should raise a red flag. Make sure that soda cans contain soda, she said, and are not standing in as housing for dangerous, toxic vapors. Large quantities of aerosol or vaporous products in a child’s room can indicate abuse and the presence of excess product needs to be questioned.

Nationally, while overall teen drug use is declining, data show that fewer preteens see the risk in inhalant use and are more willing to experiment. Over the past two years, according to a study conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, inhalant abuse by eighth graders increased by 18 percent (from 22 to 26 percent) and by 44 percent (from 18 to 26 percent) among sixth graders.

In Connecticut, according to the most recent survey of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, nearly 7 percent of seventh and eighth graders reported recent use of inhalants, and 5.3 percent of ninth and tenth graders reported use.

Elementary and middle school-age children are most likely to experiment with inhalants, Ms Burk confirmed during her Newtown appearance, which was the February program sponsored by The Parent Connection. “Children are innocent experimenters. They don’t understand the dangers.”

It is up to parents to be informed about inhalant abuse, she said, and to broach the subject with their young children in a nonaccusatory, calm manner, she said.

“Even though you are good parents, your child could make a mistake. You have to influence them before they are 10 years old in Newtown,” she emphasized. “Two out of three 12-year-olds know a user of inhalants. Don’t be afraid to talk about this issue. By not talking, you are not addressing something kids know about.”

The Connecticut Inhalant Task Force was formed in 2004 by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in collaboration with the Meriden and Wallingford Substance Abuse Council. The task force comprises organizations from across the state, including police officers, Connecticut Safe Kids, UConn Health Center Poison Control, The Governor’s Prevention Partnership, Regional Action Councils, and several health and youth-serving organizations across the state.

For more information or a copy of a free Parent Action Guide to Prevent Drug Use, call The Governor’s Prevention Partnership at 800-422-5422 or visit PreventionWorksCT.org.

For parents and caregivers, tips and the latest information about inhalants can be found at NewtownParentConnection.org Consumer.org, or the National Inhalants Coalition at Inhalant.org.

For immediate concerns, call Infoline at 211. In a poison emergency, call 800-222-1222 or 911.

(Newtown Bee reporter Nancy Crevier contributed to this report.)