STUDY: MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPERIMENTING WITH INHALANTS

NEW YORK (AP) _ Children in middle school are increasingly experimenting
with inhalants, with one in four eighth graders acknowledging they had
tried getting high by "huffing," a study released Tuesday indicated.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America reported that abuse of inhalants
had increased significantly among sixth and eighth grade students.

Among sixth graders, the number of children using inhalants increased from
18 percent in 1991 to 26 percent last year. Among eight graders, inhalant
users went from 22 percent to 26 percent.

"It's clear that this new generation of preteens has a lot to learn about
the lethal nature of inhalant abuse," said Steve Pasierb, partnership
president and CEO.

Particularly frightening was the study's discovery that fewer children saw
any risk in using inhalants, said Pasierb. According to the study, only 63
percent of eighth graders believed that using inhalants could prove deadly.

Two years ago, that figure was 73 percent.

Household products such as paint thinners, glue and correction fluids are
"huffed" by youths seeking a cheap high. Inhalants can produce serious side
effects, including nausea, seizures, heart palpitations and vomiting. Over
time, they can lead to brain damage and death.

The study involved interviews with 7,270 adolescents nationwide, along with
an additional sample of 1,140 sixth graders. The margin of error is plus or
minus 1.5 percent.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, launched in 1987, is a coalition
of communications professionals aimed at reducing the demand for illegal drugs.