HARDWARE STORE HIGHS

Lowe's new policy of restricting sales of some toxic products may
inconvenience some, but that's a small price if it helps highlight an
area of substance abuse that often doesn't get the attention it deserves.

By now, most people know the dangers of underage drug abuse, whether
the drug is alcohol, marijuana or crack cocaine. But many parents
don't know much about the dangers of inhalants, common and readily
available products that can give users a high -- and leave them dead
or neurologically damaged. Inhalants come in thousands of forms, from
paint thinner to shoe polish, and law enforcement officers are
increasingly concerned about their abuse.

The Lowe's policy -- which prohibits minors from buying potential
inhalants -- is designed to make sure the chain doesn't become the
dealer of choice for this particular brand of substance abuse.
Initially, the store put 2,000 items on its restricted purchase list.
It whittled the list down after complaints that it was prohibiting
teen shoppers from buying items such as latex paint or motor oil that
they legitimately needed.

Considering that most teens who buy a bucket of enamel or a tube of
adhesive are fixing up an apartment or dorm room, rather than looking
for a cheap fix, the policy might seem like corporate overkill. It
also will have no effect on older buyers -- who, according to most
surveys, make up the bulk of inhalant abusers. Considering how many
other stores will continue to sell the same products to young buyers,
you also could argue that the restrictions will make little real difference.

Whatever its actual impact on the availability of inhalants, the
policy has significant value in raising the profile of the problem and
setting an example of corporate responsibility in addressing it.
Lowe's decision -- and the publicity it generated -- has already made
more people aware of the growing abuse of inhalants. The Texas-based
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition estimates that by the time a
student reaches the eighth grade, one in five will have used inhalants
at least once. Huffing, as the practice is known, causes 100 to 125
deaths a year, as well as health effects ranging from hearing loss to
brain or kidney damage.

While that toll is minuscule compared to the number who die each year
from alcohol-related illness or injury, without greater awareness the
casualty list will rapidly rise.

It isn't practical -- or desirable -- to rewrite state laws and turn
all of these products into controlled substances. North Carolina is
among 17 states that already have laws regulating the sale of
potential inhalants to minors, although it gives merchants broad
leeway in enforcement. The most effective deterrent is to better
educate children, parents and other adults about the risks of abusing
inhalants. As Lowe's shows, businesses also can play an important role
by reducing the chance that youngsters will use their products to get
high. That doesn't mean that every office-supply store should enact
sales restrictions on correction fluid and felt-tip markers. But it
does mean that large and small retailers alike need to be aware of the
problem and consider how they can help deter it.