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12-Year-Olds Are More Likely to Use Potentially Deadly Inhalants than Cigarettes or Marijuana (Spanish-Language)
Two statements (in Spanish) from Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
(CSAT) Associate Director for Consumer Affairs Ivette Torres in MP3 format:
48 kbps |
96 kbps
(119 seconds total)
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More 12-year-olds have used potentially lethal inhalants than have used marijuana, cocaine, and hallucinogens combined, according to new data released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in conjunction with the 18th-annual "National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week".
The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC) and SAMHSA kicked off "National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week" at a press conference featuring information and personal stories about the dangers of inhalant use, or "huffing". One of the leading participants in this year's event was the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), which represents more than 67,000 osteopathic physicians. The organization is urging its members to take continuing-education programs designed to help enhance physician awareness of this risk to youth.
Young people sniff products such as refrigerant from air-conditioning units, aerosol computer cleaners, shoe polish, glue, air freshener, hair spray, nail polish, paint solvent, degreaser, gasoline, or lighter fluid. Youngsters intentionally inhale these substances to get high. Most parents are not aware that use of inhalants can cause "Sudden Sniffing Death"--immediate death due to cardiac arrest--or can lead to addiction and other health risks.
SAMHSA data from the 2006-2008 "National Surveys on Drug Use and Health" show a rate of lifetime inhalant use among 12-year-olds of 6.9 percent--compared to a rate of 5.1 percent for nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs; a rate of 1.4 percent for marijuana use; a rate of 0.7 percent for use of hallucinogens; and a 0.1 rate for cocaine use.
NIPC information is available at www.inhalants.org; SAMHSA data are available at oas.samhsa.gov/2k9/inhalantTrends/inhalantTrends.cfm; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) inhalant findings are available at www.inhalants.drugabuse.gov; and Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) inhalant material is available at www.TheAntiDrug.com.
For related
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