KIDS' INHALANT ABUSE DOING SERIOUS DAMAGE

The war on drugs has a new target.While cops and parents worry about
marijuana,crack and heroin growing numbers of young kids are doing
serious damage to their bodies and even dying from using
inhalants,many of which are commonly found around the house and at
school.

"As we look at the nations drug problem,probably this is the single
biggest cause of unnecessary destruction in our society,"Gen. Barry
R.McCaffrey, director of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy,said Thursday.

Inhalants are everyday items that contain toxic gas or liquid,such as
aerosol air fresheners kept under the kitchen sink,butane cigarette
lighters left on the coffee table,and Freon stolen from a neighbor's
air conditioning unit. Some teen-agers have poured gasoline into a
plastic bag,put their head inside and inhaled the fumes.

The effects of "huffing" or "sniffing" can result in death.Teen-agers
sometimes suffer permanent brain, bone marrow, liver and kidney
damage,McCaffrey said.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady