Senior writer Heidi Splete contributed to this report.
Inhalant abuse, known as “sniffing” or “huffing,” appears to be increasing among teens, and shifting attitudes about the practice are cause for alarm, according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.
In a new survey of 7,200 7th-12th graders, about 23% reported abusing inhalants. That's up about 2% since 2001, according to the Partnership, which conducts such surveys annually. The most recent survey–the 2005 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study–was conducted from March through June 2005 and has a margin of error of +/− 1.5%.
Of particular concern is that the percentage of teens reporting that they “strongly agree” that inhalant abuse can be deadly declined 19% since 2001, with only 64% of respondents in the 2005 survey agreeing that inhalants can kill.
“What stands out is the teens' decreasing perception of risk because that often correlates with increases in use. We clearly need to address underlying attitudes and help teens understand the dangers associated with this form of substance abuse,” Steve Pasierb, president and chief executive officer of the Partnership, said in a written statement.
Earlier this year, a report by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health called “Characteristics of Recent Adolescent Inhalant Intitiates” found that recent inhalant initiates were significantly more likely to be white, compared with the general population (70% vs. 62%), and significantly more likely to be 14–15 years old, compared with the general population (39% vs. 34%).
Among adolescents, substances commonly used for huffing include spray paint, glue, computer duster, cooking spray, and correction fluid. Sniffing highly concentrated amounts of vapors from some products can cause a syndrome known as “sudden sniffing death,” which can result after even a single session of inhalant use.
The most common causes of death as a result of inhalant use are sudden cardiac death and suffocation or asphyxiation. Chronic exposure to inhalants can also cause damage to the brain, heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.
Educational campaigns about the dangers of inhalant abuse also must target parents, who according to the Partnership report are either not aware or are in denial about the prevalence of inhalant abuse among teens.
Of 1,200 parents of teens who were also surveyed, only 5% believe their child ever abused inhalants; teens are four times more likely to report inhalant abuse than parents expect.
Although about 75% of parents reported discussing cigarettes “a lot” with their children, only 50% reported spending the same amount of time discussing the risks of inhalant abuse.
A new educational campaign from the Partnership and the Alliance for Consumer Education will seek to educate parents and teens through a mass media campaign and via outreach to school counselors and nurses.
Similar campaigns in the 1990s were effective for reducing inhalant abuse; between 1995 and 2001, data suggested these programs led to an increase from 64% to 79% in the proportion of teens who perceived inhalant abuse as risky, and inhalant abuse declined significantly during that period, from 23% to 18%.
However, today's middle school kids weren't exposed to those educational campaigns, and the result is “generational forgetting” and a new generation of kids that clearly need to be educated, Mr. Pasierb said.
Another dangerous aspect of inhalant abuse is that inhalants may serve as a starter. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health data showed that 23% of recent inhalant initiates had not used cigarettes, alcohol, or marijuana prior to their first use of inhalants.
KATHRYN DALES
Signs and Symptoms of Inhalant Abuse
Someone who is abusing inhalants may exhibit one or all of the following symptoms:
▸ Burning sensation on the tongue.
▸ Dazed, dizzy, or drunken-seeming appearance.
▸ Nausea and/or loss of appetite.
▸ Neurologic problems including peripheral neuropathy, loss of vision, severe cognitive impairment, and seizures.
▸ Red or runny eyes and/or nose.
▸ Signs of paint, correction fluid, or other chemical products in unusual places, such as the face or fingers.
▸ Slurred or disoriented speech.
▸ Unusual behaviors such as anxiety, irritability, anger, excitability, or restlessness with no discernable cause.
▸ Unusual odor on the breath or chemical odor on clothing.
Sources: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition