THE WAR ON DRUGS COMES HOME

Last week, Vice President Gore announced that the war on drugs is still
being fought. While recent studies show that drug use among young people
declined in 1997 and 1998, our country still has more work to do, he said.

The vice president, who was announcing the White House's plan to cut the
U.S. drug problem in half by the year 2007, said that keeping kids off
drugs is the top goal of the program. He said that if children can make it
to adulthood drug-free, they are very likely to avoid addiction for the
rest of their lives.

When people talk about "drugs," they usually mean illegal substances like
marijuana, cocaine and heroin that people use to get "high." But there are
hundreds of household products that are abused in similar ways by people
who sniff them.

Many of the people who abuse these products, which are known as inhalants,
are young people. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports
that one of every five eighth-graders has abused inhalants.

Household products that are abused include model airplane glue, nail polish
remover, cleaning fluids, hair spray, gasoline, spray paint, fabric
protector, air conditioner fluid and cooking spray. These products, which
all have important uses for which they have been designed, can be very
dangerous when people choose to abuse them.

People who abuse inhalants, who are sometimes called "huffers," may feel
stimulated, disoriented, out-of-control, giddy, lightheaded or even
violent, according to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug
Information. The substances can also produce a variety of unpleasant
physical effects, including nausea, ringing in the ears, nosebleeds, double
vision, chest pain, muscle and joint aches, and loss of coordination.

In addition, inhalants can injure the heart and liver and cause severe
damage to the brain and nervous system. In extreme cases, inhalant abuse
can starve the body of oxygen, causing a person to pass out or even die.

Some companies that make products that are abused as inhalants have joined
in efforts to prevent the abuse.

SC Johnson & Son Inc., for example, has added warnings to its Candle Scent
Air Fresheners. The company is also working with the Partnership for a
Drug-Free America to warn children and teens of the dangers of inhalant
abuse.

In a video for parents called "Educate: Creating Inhalant Abuse Awareness
Together," Deloris Jordan, the mother of retired basketball star Michael
Jordan and author of a book on parenting, says: "I know that talking to
your children about difficult subjects can be a challenge. However, finding
new ways to comfortably discuss things that can harm them is critical."

If you would like to be able to talk over the dangers of inhalants with
your family, ask an adult you trust to find out more about the video, which
has been distributed to more than 300,000 people since it was released in
October. (See "Tips for Parents," below, for details.)

Kids often try dangerous things because "everybody's doing it." Because
inhalants are so dangerous, it's especially important to fight against them
as part of your own personal war on drugs. The simplest way to avoid the
dangers of inhalants is not to try them.

Tips for Parents

For more information about the "Educate" video and an accompanying
brochure, contact the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition at
1-800-269-4237, the American Council for Drug Education at 1-800-488-DRUG
or the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at
1-800-729-6686.

For You to Do

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information "For Kids Only" Web
site (www.health.org/kidsarea) lists some ideas that kids can try as
alternatives to trying drugs or inhalants. Here are four ideas to get you
started. Fill in the rest of the list with your own ideas. If someone asks
you to try a harmful substance, say, "No, I'm smart! I'd rather. . .

1. Call a friend.

2. Be nice to myself . . . (sing, dance, read, swim, draw . . . )

3. Get involved. Help other people or join a group.

4. Dream about what I want to be or who I want to be like.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.