CHEAP HIGH COMES AT A GREAT COST

DEAR ANN: 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.
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).

Write to Ann Landers in care of Silicon Valley Life, the Mercury News,
750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95190. Enclose an addressed,
stamped envelope.