RISK HIGH FOR KIDS SNIFFING INHALANTS

NEW YORK -- In a time far more concerned with teenagers' use of
cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and tobacco, few parents are aware that
some of the most insidious and lethal drugs of all may be lurking in
the broom closet, in the cabinet under the kitchen sink or even in the
refrigerator.

When deliberately used the wrong way, a bottle of household cleaning
fluid, a room deodorant spray or an aerosol can of whipped cream can
be killers, contributing to what drug experts call the silent epidemic
of inhalant abuse, also known as "huffing," "sniffing," "bagging" or
"doing spray."

Although their parents may warn them about other types of drugs,
children often have no idea that abusing everyday household products
may hold such great danger. In an effort to educate Americans about
the problem, which is greatest among young teens, Congress last week
designated this week National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week.

The potentially deadly nature of this form of substance abuse became
apparent earlier this month when a Pennsylvania medical examiner
announced that a car accident killing five teenage girls was the
result of the driver inhaling fumes from Duster II, a cleaning spray
for computer keyboards. A can of the cleaner was found in the car.

Finding traces of the chemical difluoroethane, an ingredient of Duster
II, in the blood of the 16-year-old driver and three of her teenage
passengers, the medical examiner concluded that the driver was
impaired "from intoxication due to inhalation abuse."

Creating a brief, euphoric high when inhaled, difluoroethane,
trichloroethylene, toluene, hexane, butane and nitrous oxide are just
some of the esoteric-sounding chemicals that can be found in such
humble, ubiquitous and perfectly legal products as aerosol paints,
cleaning agents, correction fluid, nail polish, felt-tipped pens,
paint thinner, lighter fluid, glue, gasoline and hair spray. Even
aerosol cans of whipped cream use nitrous oxide as the propellant,
which abusers siphon off and inhale.

Current inhalation abuse goes far beyond the glue-sniffing craze of
the 1960s. Experts now estimate that some 1,000 products on the market
are vulnerable to abuse.

Inhalants not only intoxicate users, causing disorientation, loss of
coordination and memory loss, but also cause an array of serious and
lasting physical disorders, such as permanent brain damage, as well as
hearing loss, convulsions, and damage to the lungs, bone marrow, liver
and kidneys. Inhalant abuse also can result in death due to cardiac
arrest.

Sudden Sniffing Death, as it is called, may occur without warning,
whether on the first, tenth or hundredth time a child uses an
inhalant. Usually, it comes in the form of a heart attack after the
fumes induce an irregular heartbeat.

There is no federal clearinghouse for figures on inhalant-related
fatalities. But since June 1996, some 270 deaths have been reported to
the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, according to Harvey Weiss,
executive director of the non-profit group based in Austin, Texas.

While inhalant abuse occurs in every socioeconomic group, it is most
prevalent among white adolescents and is least problematic among
African-Americans and Asian-Americans, Weiss said. In general,
inhalants are most popular with junior high school-aged teens, who
find inhalants cheaper, easier to get and far less likely to arouse
parental suspicion than alcohol, marijuana and other drugs.

In the wake of the Pennsylvania accident, officials at the girls'
school conceded they never had suspected inhalant abuse among
students. And the parents of the five high school juniors were
unwilling to accept the coroner's report, instead suggesting that the
Duster II spray had been accidentally inhaled.

Ignorance of inhalant abuse by parents and teachers is not uncommon,
according to drug experts. According to a 1997 national survey
released by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, 95 percent
of parents thought their children had not abused inhalants. But 1998
results from the University of Michigan's annual Monitoring the Future
Study indicate that one out of five 8th graders has used an inhalant
to get high, a figure that has remained relatively steady since 1993.

"So, you see a lot of disconnect," Weiss said. "Parents aren't talking
about it. Educators aren't talking about it and kids aren't getting
the message that inhalants are chemicals, poisons and toxins."

As awareness of the effects of inhalants grows, states are beginning
to change laws to reflect that. In May 1998, Illinois passed a bill
that expanded the state's driving while intoxicated law to include
driving under the influence of toxic inhalants.

According to the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, the warning
signs of inhalant abuse include an unusual or chemical odor on the
breath or clothing; tipsy behavior, including slurred speech; paint or
marker stains around the face or fingers; red or runny eyes or nose
and excitability.

Parents and teachers should watch for children who frequently sniff at
their pens and markers or who seem constantly to be smelling their
sleeves or fingers. At home, parents should be suspicious of
chemical-soaked rags or socks and be alert to missing household
products that could be abused.

Among children in 1st through 7th grades, inhalant abuse ranks third
after alcohol and tobacco, according to the National Institute on Drug
Abuse. By 8th grade, inhalant abuse falls into fourth place, behind
alcohol, tobacco and marijuana.

"But it is far more dangerous than all those other substances," Weiss
said. "Any time you use an inhalant it can prove fatal."

Moreover, there are few treatment programs specifically tailored for
inhalant abusers, who require longer to detoxify than other drug abusers
and have a high rate of relapse. Said Weiss:

"The best treatment, really, is prevention."