Ellen Campbell -Grizzle
JACKIE TOOK her 13 year-old child to the doctor because of consistent headaches. The constant throbbing pain was keeping her daughter from school and her grades were falling. The teenager was occasionally clumsy, uncoordinated and "not eating much". The doctor examined the young girl and saw dry, cracked skin around the mouth, sores on her lips and ink-stained fingernail beds.
After some prodding, Jackie's daughter admitted to inhalant abuse and told the doctor that she had been sniffing glue and spray paint with her friend over the past months. Jackie is stunned by her daughter's admission. She had no idea that such items could be addictive.
Parents often miss inhalant abuse because the causative agents are usually common household products. Studies show that over 10 per cent of Jamaican adolescents have experimented with inhalants. These substances are available, inexpensive and accessible to the young who may find it difficult to procure other drugs. Now, research is showing that these substances are very harmful and have the potential to open the gateway to the use of other drugs among younger children.
Chemicals in commonly-abused inhalants.
CHEMICAL
Toluene - Paint thinner, spray paint, nail polish remover, shoe polish
Butane - Lighter fluid, spray paint, hair spray, some room fresheners and deodorants
Propane - Gas, spray paint, hair spray, some room fresheners and deodorants
Fluorocarbons - Asthma sprays, analgesic sprays, paint, hair spray, some room fresheners and deodorants
Chlorinated Hydrocarbons - Dry-cleaning agents, spot removers, degreasers, correction fluid
Acetone - Nail polish remover, permanent markers.
Users breathe in a substance directly from its container (sniffing or snorting), place rag soaked in the substance over the nose and mouth and inhale (huffing) or pour the substance into a plastic bag and breath in the fumes (bagging). Chemicals in these products cause a feeling of euphoria similar to that experienced with many other addictive substances.
Signs of recent inhalant abuse include:-
Paint or oil stains on
clothing or skin
Spots or sores around the mouth
Red eyes and runny nose
Chemical odour on the breath
A dazed appearance
Patients who have been abusing inhalants also experience dizziness, irritability, tiredness, loss of appetite, headache, increased sensitivity to light or coughing. Most of these symptoms can be mistaken for those of other illnesses. Additionally, pregnant women who abuse inhalants increase their risk of spontaneous abortion. The unborn child is at risk for foetal solvent syndrome manifested as low birth weight, small head size, facial disfigurement and abnormal muscle tones.
SUDDEN DEATH
It is well known that the most serious consequences of inhalant abuse are serious brain damage, sudden unconsciousness or death. The sudden sniffing death syndrome is associated with inhalant abuse and occurs when a heavily intoxicated user is startled.
This causes the release of chemicals that can trigger fatal, rapid and uncoordinated contractions of the lower part of the heart.
Inhalant abuse must not be taken lightly and every effort must be made to curtail misuse. Parents, children and teachers need to be educated about the dangers and warning signs of abuse. Inhalant misuse can start youngsters on the long and difficult road of addiction. Early intervention saves lives. Users need professional counselling and consistent support from parents and friends.
Ellen Campbell-Grizzle, president, Caribbean Association of Pharmacists, director, Information & Research, National Council on Drug Abuse; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
