Teen girls more apt than boys to abuse inhalants

Washington -- With an estimated 1.1 million adolescents snatching a quick high by inhaling such lethal substances as Freon, butane and a host of other household products each year, physicians and parents should familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms of this dangerous practice, according to a panel of experts.

Red or runny eyes or nose, spots or sores around the mouth, chemical breath or odor, nausea, anxiety and stains on the body or clothing are red flags, says the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, a nonprofit group based in Tennessee. NIPC kicked off the 15th National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week on March 15 with a Washington, D.C., briefing.

The overall rate of inhalant abuse has remained stable at about 4.5% between 2002 and 2005, found a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released at the briefing. But more girls than boys are abusing these products. Almost 5% of girls between the ages of 12 and 17 used inhalants in 2005, up from 4.1% in 2002. For boys, the figure remained constant throughout that period at 4.2%.

The number of first-time users remained relatively stable from 2002 to 2005, according to the report, "Patterns and Trends in Inhalant Use by Adolescent Males and Females: 2002-2005." About 591,000 young people initiated use of inhalants in 2002, compared with 605,000 in 2005.

The findings are based on the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted from 2002 to 2005. The data were obtained from 91,145 children ages 12 to 17.

The misuse of inhalants can cause kidney, lung, bone marrow and brain damage; heart attacks; convulsions; and death, said Bertha Madras, PhD, deputy director of demand reduction in the While House Office of National Drug Control Policy, who spoke at the briefing. Since the highs experienced last only a few minutes, the tendency is to inhale repeatedly, she said.

Between 100 and 120 teens die each year from inhalant abuse, said Harvey Weiss, founder and executive director of the inhalant prevention coalition. But the toll may be higher because the cause of death is not always recognized, he noted.

The inhalants are common household products, such as shoe polish, glue, aerosol air fresheners, hair sprays, nail polish, paint solvents, degreasers, gasoline or lighter fluids.

Since the items are so readily available and so familiar, young people may not recognize their danger, said Timothy P. Condon, PhD, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "We know that inhalant abuse can start early, with research suggesting that even preadolescent children seek out inhalants because they are easy to obtain."

NIDA's ongoing Monitoring the Future study of teen drug use has, for example, found that eighth graders abuse inhalants at a higher rate than do 10th and 12th graders.

The abuse of inhalants by teens is not new, noted Stephen J. Pasierb, president and CEO of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. In 1995, an increase in such abuse was driven back by an emphasis on education, a move that all at the briefing said was necessary. "Every new generation of teens must learn about the dangers all over again," Pasierb said.

For a time, the Web site YouTube was showing homemade videos of teens high on inhalants until the site was persuaded to remove them, Pasierb said. To counter that, new televised public service announcements are mimicking the low-tech video presentations, but they close with a portrayal of the death of a participant.

Parents who lost children to the practice also spoke at the briefing. The 15-year-old son of Mona and Larry Casey of Naples, Fla., died after sniffing Freon from an air conditioner. The realization that the substance was so readily accessible inspired the family to petition their state Legislature to require air conditioner locks.

Brady Coates, 18, of Everett, Wash., died after inhaling butane. His father displays his son's picture and distributes green bracelets that say, "Stay tough and don't huff," taking a word from the inhalant abuse vocabulary.