DRUGS - DUSTING GAINS POPULARITY

Parents used to be warned about huffing, the act of inhaling fumes from
paint or glue, a common way for middle school students to get high.

But the new fad, parents, is dusting.

Remember that can of Dust-Off you used to clean your keyboard? Your
children could be using that can to get high.

Compressed air is a heavy gas that fills the lungs and keeps good air out.
It generally causes dizziness and a buzz that lasts a couple of seconds.
The air actually decreases oxygen to the brain, heart and lungs, and it can
kill without warning. The air can also cause the tongue to freeze, causing
frostbite.

The New England Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition said that as many as 39
percent of first-time dusters die immediately.

But as if that weren't alarming enough, the Partnership for a Drug-Free
America revealed that inhalant use has increased by 18 percent among
eighth-graders and 44 percent by sixth-graders.

Keep an eye out for the following:

# Bloodshot eyes

# A dazed look

# Numbness

# A sore or frostbitten tongue

Realizing this is a problem in our community, Kesler Mentoring Connection,
Jacksonville Community Council Inc., and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
will host "Huff, Puff and Sniff" How Youth are Getting High, Monday, Aug.
22 at JCCI. The forum is free. Register at (904) 224- 1490.

Fads are always changing, especially when it comes to children. It is
important for parents to stay on top of the most current information
available. Learn as much as you can about this topic. It might just save
your child's life.