A CHILD GRIEVES FOR A DAD DEAD FROM CHEAP HIGH

Dear Ann Landers: Yesterday, I attended the funeral of a 22-year-old man
who left behind a young daughter who will never know her father. He died
because he tried to get a cheap high with laughing gas (nitrous oxide). He
was driving at the time. When they pulled him out of the wreck, he still
had the balloon in his mouth. That's going to be a great story to tell his
daughter when she grows up.

At the time this man was dying, his two younger brothers were also out
getting high. Their older brother had told them how much fun it was to
inhale nitrous oxide. As if the parents don't have enough grief in their
lives.

Please tell your teenage readers to get high on life instead of killing
themselves with cheap thrills. -- S.B. in Crawfordville, Fla.

Dear Crawfordville: I have printed several letters in my column about the
dangers of inhalants, which include nitrous oxide (laughing gas), helium,
aerosols, paint, cleaning solvents and gasoline. Inhalants work directly on
the heart, the nervous system and other vital organs. The experts on the
subject have made it abundantly clear that inhalants can be both addictive
and deadly.

Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, can produce permanent damage to the nervous
system -- this means the ability to see, hear, walk and talk. Helium, when
inhaled from a tank or used long-term, can cause asphyxiation, permanent
brain damage, massive pulmonary hemorrhaging and death. The latest fad is
"whippets," which are canisters used to make whipped cream and sold in
gourmet and hardware stores.

Parents should discuss the dangers of inhalants with their children. They
should also be alert to obvious signs of inhalant abuse such as paint
stains on a child's hands or face; chemical odors on breath, clothing or
rags; the rapid disappearance of household aerosol or cleaning products. If
inhalant use is suspected, parents should contact their local substance
abuse or mental health program for help. Parents who want more information
can call the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition at 1-800-269-4237 for a
free video narrated by Deloris Jordan (Michael's mother).