According to a recent national study, one out of five students in America has used an inhalant to get high by the time he or she reaches the eighth grade. Inhalants are not drugs. They are the poisonous and toxic vapors found in products like paint, glue, cleaning fluids, stain removers, air conditioning refrigerant, nail polish remover, large felt tip markers, and butane. They are everyday household items that are easily and readily accessible to young children and adolescents commonly between the ages of 12 and 17.

If you read the labels on any of these products for their ingredients you will understand that inhalant use is also chemical abuse. There is currently no illegal cloud hanging over a child's access to inhalants. There is also no complex paraphernalia necessary to abuse these products. And, if you think about it for a minute, a young person doesn't have to use a "dealer" to obtain them.

There is almost a limitless supply of thousands of inhalant products that can be abused. Many of them are available at home, in school, convenience stores and auto supply stores. Many of these products are often free or generally inexpensive to obtain and young people have no problem teaching each other techniques on how to abuse these inhalants. It is clearly a questionable practice of breathing dangerously. Inhalant use is quickly becoming a widespread problem in America often rivaling marijuana in popularity among young people. This intentional breathing of gas or vapors with the goal of reaching a high is reaching a level of proportion demanding the attention of educators, substance abuse professionals, mental health practitioners and parents.

Unfortunately, parents and families are not often aware that there child might be having a problem with inhalant abuse or they tend to deny that their children may be sniffing, huffing and otherwise breathing dangerously. And, all too often young people are unaware of the dangers associated with these behaviors. Users can suffer withdrawal symptoms that can include hallucinations, nausea, excessive sweating, hand tremors, muscle cramps, headaches and chills. Despite a young person's invincible attitude, any of these symptoms following inhalant use requires medical attention. As parents and families become more informed about inhalant use they can become more attuned to potential symptoms including paint or stains on body or clothing, spots or sores around the mouth, red or runny eyes or nose, chemical breath odor, dazed or dizzy appearance, nausea or loss of appetite.

It is important to educate yourself about this dangerous practice among young people. For additional information and educational material about inhalant use you can log onto the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition's website at www.inhalants.org. Once a problem has been identified and the person's symptoms are stabilized it is important to seek professional help.

For more information and treatment for inhalant use and other substance abuse contact the Community Program at Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Services at 822-4060.