Huffing...
Huffing... (07/19/2006 10:39 AM)
Do you know what your children are doing when you are not around? Do you know the types of people they are hanging out with? Do you monitor the places they go and the people they go with? Do you check in on your children when they shut themselves in their room? Would you be able to tell the difference between someone that is high and someone that is drunk? Do you know the signs that someone has been huffing or sniffing?
I ask these questions to myself as much as any parent reading this. I had a co-worker tell me that her teenage daughter has been doing this. A child my daughter used to hang around with because I thought she would be a good influence for my daughter. (looks can be deceiving) A child who started smoking about 6 months ago, skipping school and hanging out with "popular" kids. Funny how we as a society assume that the "popular" kids are the "good" kids that wouldn't do this sort of thing. But it's those kids that introduced her to this kind of drug.
You may not realize this, but Huffing, or Inhalant Abuse is a growing past-time for kids. I have included some important information that I found to be very important. I am still in shock that this is something someone close to me is participating in. But thankful that I heard about it and used it as a tool to talk to my daughter. I was amazed at the amount of imformation my daughter knew about this subject. I remember being in school and joking about sniffing the markers and how good they smelled.. now it's a "drug" used to get high.
It's very easy for them to find the tools needed to acheive the high, items you have in your home or garage: typewriter correction fluid, air conditioning coolant, gasoline, felt tip markers, spray paint, air freshener, butane, cooking spray, paint, and glue. Are the most common products used. Inhalants are addictive and are considered to be "gateway" drugs because children often progress from inhalants to illegal drug and alcohol abuse.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that one in five American teens have used Inhalants to get high. Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome is caused in one of two ways. First, Inhalants force the heart to beat rapidly and erratically until the user goes into cardiac arrest. Second, the fumes from an Inhalant enter a user's lungs and central nervous system. By lowering oxygen levels enough, the user is unable to breathe and suffocates. Regular abuse of these substances can result in serious harm to vital organs including the brain, heart, kidneys and liver. Even if the user doesn't die, Inhalants can still affect the body. Most Inhalants produce a rapid high that resembles alcohol intoxication with initial excitement, then drowsiness, disinhibition, lightheadedness and agitation. Short-term effects include headache, muscle weakness, abdominal pain, severe mood swings and violent behavior, slurred speech, numbness and tingling of the hands and feet, nausea, hearing loss, limb spasms, fatigue, and lack of coordination. Long- term effects include central nervous system or brain damage. Serious effects include damage to the liver, heart, kidneys, blood oxygen level depletion, unconsciousness and death. If you haven't taken the opportunity to talk to your kids about this sort of thing please do. Talking to them about these types of things can help them make the right decision when "pressured" into trying it. Talking to them about these things makes them know that you care. It only takes a moment that could save a life! Insert of this blog can be found at http://www.inhalant.org/index.html
Do you know what your children are doing when you are not around? Do you know the types of people they are hanging out with? Do you monitor the places they go and the people they go with? Do you check in on your children when they shut themselves in their room? Would you be able to tell the difference between someone that is high and someone that is drunk? Do you know the signs that someone has been huffing or sniffing?
I ask these questions to myself as much as any parent reading this. I had a co-worker tell me that her teenage daughter has been doing this. A child my daughter used to hang around with because I thought she would be a good influence for my daughter. (looks can be deceiving) A child who started smoking about 6 months ago, skipping school and hanging out with "popular" kids. Funny how we as a society assume that the "popular" kids are the "good" kids that wouldn't do this sort of thing. But it's those kids that introduced her to this kind of drug.
You may not realize this, but Huffing, or Inhalant Abuse is a growing past-time for kids. I have included some important information that I found to be very important. I am still in shock that this is something someone close to me is participating in. But thankful that I heard about it and used it as a tool to talk to my daughter. I was amazed at the amount of imformation my daughter knew about this subject. I remember being in school and joking about sniffing the markers and how good they smelled.. now it's a "drug" used to get high.
It's very easy for them to find the tools needed to acheive the high, items you have in your home or garage: typewriter correction fluid, air conditioning coolant, gasoline, felt tip markers, spray paint, air freshener, butane, cooking spray, paint, and glue. Are the most common products used. Inhalants are addictive and are considered to be "gateway" drugs because children often progress from inhalants to illegal drug and alcohol abuse.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that one in five American teens have used Inhalants to get high. Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome is caused in one of two ways. First, Inhalants force the heart to beat rapidly and erratically until the user goes into cardiac arrest. Second, the fumes from an Inhalant enter a user's lungs and central nervous system. By lowering oxygen levels enough, the user is unable to breathe and suffocates. Regular abuse of these substances can result in serious harm to vital organs including the brain, heart, kidneys and liver. Even if the user doesn't die, Inhalants can still affect the body. Most Inhalants produce a rapid high that resembles alcohol intoxication with initial excitement, then drowsiness, disinhibition, lightheadedness and agitation. Short-term effects include headache, muscle weakness, abdominal pain, severe mood swings and violent behavior, slurred speech, numbness and tingling of the hands and feet, nausea, hearing loss, limb spasms, fatigue, and lack of coordination. Long- term effects include central nervous system or brain damage. Serious effects include damage to the liver, heart, kidneys, blood oxygen level depletion, unconsciousness and death. If you haven't taken the opportunity to talk to your kids about this sort of thing please do. Talking to them about these types of things can help them make the right decision when "pressured" into trying it. Talking to them about these things makes them know that you care. It only takes a moment that could save a life! Insert of this blog can be found at http://www.inhalant.org/index.html
posted by makinitcount @ 8:27 AM
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