1000 SW Jackson
Suite 230
Topeka, KS 66612-1274
(785) 296-1223
(785) 296-8645 (FAX)

Coordinator:
Jan Stegelman

Executive Committee
Dennis Cooley, MD
Medical Advisor
American Academy of
Pediatrics, Kansas
Chapter

Vanda Easley
State Farm Insurance
Companies

Cindy Hermes
State Capitol Area
Firefighters Association

Ami Hyten
Kansas Trial Lawyers
Association

Elena Nuss
Kansas State
Fire Marshall's Office

Rosanne Rutkowski
Kansas State Nurses
Association

Cindy Yelkin
Kansas Hospital
Association

For Immediate Release
March 20, 2003

Contact: Jan Stegelman 785-296-1223 or
Cherie Sage 785-296-0351

Inhalants: Russian Roulette with a Poison

Many parents are in the dark when it comes to inhalant use. But children are quickly discovering that common household products are inexpensive to obtain, easy to hide and the easiest way to get high. Inhalants may be the first substance a child abuses, before marijuana, tobacco or alcohol. In fact, by the time a student reaches the 8th grade, one in five will have used inhalants to get high. But few of these kids know the deadly effects the poisons in these products have on the brain and body when they are inhaled or "huffed." It's like playing Russian Roulette. The user can die the 1st, 10th or 100th time a product is misused as an inhalant.

Inhalant use refers to the intentional breathing of gas or vapors with the purpose of reaching a high. There are more than 1,000 everyday products that are very dangerous when inhaled, including cooking spray, insecticides, oven cleaner, deodorants, cleaning products, hair spray, air fresheners, nail polish remover, glue, paint and paint thinners, typewriter correction fluid, air-conditioning refrigerant, felt tip markers, butane and other aerosol sprays.

Nearly all abused products produce effects similar to anesthetics, which slow down the body's function. The user can experience slight stimulation, feeling of less inhibition or loss of consciousness. The user can also suffer from "Sudden Sniffing Death." when inhalants disrupt heart rhythms and lead to cardiac arrest. Death can also result from suffocation or fatal injury from car crashes when driving while high. Inhalants can also damage the heart, kidney, brain, liver, bone marrow and other organs. Results similar to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may occur when inhalants are used during pregnancy. Inhalants are physically and psychologically addicting and users suffer withdrawal symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of inhalant use include chemical odors on breath or clothing; paint or other stains on face, hands, or clothes; drunk or disoriented appearance; slurred speech; inattentiveness, lack of coordination; hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers; and chemical soaked rags or clothing.

Kansas SAFE KIDS offers these tips for parents:

• Communicate with your children. Talk about inhalants and the dangers associated with their use. Inhalants are poisons and toxins. Be clear with them that you don't want them to use inhalants.
• Don't overreact. Calmly discuss why people use drugs and the risks they take in choosing to use inhalants and other drugs.
• Pay attention. Get 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. Watch for the signs of inhalant use and seek help for your child if you suspect she or he is using inhalants.

For more information and a free copy of the brochure, "Keeping Your Kids Drug-Free: A How-To Guide for Parents and Caregivers" visit www.theantidrug.com, the parent site of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. These materials are also available by calling 1-800-788-2800 (ask for document number PHD884). If you or someone you know is seeking help for inhalant abuse, you can contact the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition at 1-800-269-4237 for information on treatment centers and general information on inhalants.

Kansas SAFE KIDS, Inc. is a nonprofit coalition of 67 statewide organizations and businesses dedicated to preventing unintentional injuries to Kansas children ages 0-14. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Anderson, Barber, Clay, Dickinson, Doniphan, Ford, Franklin, Johnson, Marion, Montgomery, Osage, Pottawatomie, Rice and Shawnee Counties, as well as Chanute, Hutchinson, Junction City, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Norton, Pittsburg, Salina, and Wichita. Kansas SAFE KIDS is affiliated with the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.