Ellen Campbell -Grizzle

Common household items can be toxic inhalants to young people. These products are all over your home. They are available and inexpensive. Young people abuse inhalants because they get a high from them.

Inhalant abuse can result in death. Recent surveys commissioned by the National Council on Drug Abuse indicate that inhalant use is present among 28 per cent of Jamaican teenagers. The incidence rate among this cohort is now recorded at 17 per cent. These findings approximate the unacceptable levels related to ganja use by Jamaican teens.

All over the world, experts are increasingly concerned about inhalant use which they compare to playing 'Russian roulette' with one's life. These substances are physically and psychologically intoxicating and abusers suffer withdrawal symptoms. Parents of children who have died from Sudden Sniffing Death, related to inhalant use, often bemoan the fact that they were ignorant about the potential of such substances to cause irreparable harm. Parents can make a difference in the reduction of inhalant abuse among our children.

What are inhalants?

Inhalants are breathable chemical vapours that produce psychoactive effects. Person are exposed to volatile substances all the time, however, many do not recognise the drug abuse potential of these products. Inhalants fall into categories such as:

Solvents

Industrial or household products such as dry cleaning fluids, floor polish, gasolene.

Art or office supplies including correction fluids, felt-tip pens.

Gases

Gases used in household or commercial products including propane, whipping cream, aerosols or dispensers.

Household aerosol propellants and associated solvents in paints, hair and deodorant sprays.

Medical anaesthetic gases such as ether, chloroform and halothane.

Nitrites

Primarily amyl nitrite aka poppers.

Teenagers use inhalants by sniffing or snorting from containers directly into the nose or mouth; bagging, by inhaling a substance from bags; huffing from an inhalant-soaked rag or dusting cloth, inhaling computer keyboard cleaner.

Health hazards

All inhalants will act to slow down the body's functions, especially the brain and central nervous system. They are absorbed through the lungs into the blood stream, which then carries the chemicals rapidly to the brain. Intoxicating effects are often quick (seven to 10 seconds), intense and short lived, lasting no more than 30 to 60 minutes (some inhalants last two minutes).

Varying upon level of dosage, the user can experience dizziness, stupor, disorientation, reduced inhibition, lack of coordination, visual disturbance and slurred speech. Prolonged use, particularly of leaded petroleum products, can lead to irreparable damage to brain, liver, kidney and lung. Death arises from respiratory arrest and cardiac irregularities. Results similar to Foetal Alcohol Syndrome may also occur when inhalants are used during pregnancy.

Signs of inhalant use

There is a link between inhalant use and problems in school including lower grades and general apathy. Other signs include the following:

Paint or stains on the body or clothing

Spots or sores around the mouth

Red or runny eyes or nose

Chemical odour on the breath

Drunk, dazed appearance

Nausea, lack of appetite

Anxiety, excitability, irritability.

Education is critical

It is never too early to point out to your child the dangers of the wrong use of inhalants. Most Jamaican teenagers underestimate the harmful effects of these substances There are age-appropriate guidelines available to help you with the process. Teachers should include information about these products in their drug awareness classes as well. Remember to store inhalants in a safe place within the home. If your child is abusing inhalants, you need the professional help of a counsellor to reverse this habit .

Ellen Campbell Grizzle, president, Caribbean Association of Pharmacists; director, Information & Research, National Council on Drug Abuse; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.