Inhalant Abuse: As Close as the Kitchen Sink
March 16, 2000 (Atlanta) -- Many parents may not know it, but in their child's world, "huffing" may be more popular than "puffing." According to the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, surveys find that among children up to the eighth grade, the act of inhaling concentrated fumes -- often from common household items -- is more prevalent than smokingmarijuana. And, according to the group, after eighth grade, inhalants are the fourth most abused substance, following alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.
The group is holding a press conference today to discuss the dangers of huffing, also known as "bagging" and "sniffing."
The coalition, with support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, is trying to shed light on what's been called a "silent epidemic" by sponsoring the seventh annual National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week next week.
A national survey by SAMHSA found 431,000 kids aged 12-17 experimented with inhalants for the first time in 1997. In a recent statement, Nelba Chavez, PhD, administrator of SAMHSA, explained, "Children and adolescents think they're supermen and superwomen; they're immortal, invulnerable. But if they use inhalants, they may never have a second chance to learn otherwise."
A nationwide survey released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) last year echoed SAMHSA's findings. Of 600 children aged 10-17 in the AAP survey, nearly 20% of the eighth graders in that group said they have tried to use inhalants to get high. Almost two-thirds said they know what huffing is, and just over one-quarter have seen or heard about peers who huff. In fact, the amount of abuse among young people could be on par with drugs and alcohol, Ed Jacobs, MD, chairman of the committee on substance abuse for the AAP, told WebMD at the time.
The survey underscores the fact that using inhalants is not an exceedingly rare event, and it is actually more common than many parents think, according to Jacobs. He said, "This is a phenomenon that kids 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 years old are clearly aware of, and I think that's significant."
The group is holding a press conference today to discuss the dangers of huffing, also known as "bagging" and "sniffing."
The coalition, with support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, is trying to shed light on what's been called a "silent epidemic" by sponsoring the seventh annual National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week next week.
A national survey by SAMHSA found 431,000 kids aged 12-17 experimented with inhalants for the first time in 1997. In a recent statement, Nelba Chavez, PhD, administrator of SAMHSA, explained, "Children and adolescents think they're supermen and superwomen; they're immortal, invulnerable. But if they use inhalants, they may never have a second chance to learn otherwise."
A nationwide survey released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) last year echoed SAMHSA's findings. Of 600 children aged 10-17 in the AAP survey, nearly 20% of the eighth graders in that group said they have tried to use inhalants to get high. Almost two-thirds said they know what huffing is, and just over one-quarter have seen or heard about peers who huff. In fact, the amount of abuse among young people could be on par with drugs and alcohol, Ed Jacobs, MD, chairman of the committee on substance abuse for the AAP, told WebMD at the time.
The survey underscores the fact that using inhalants is not an exceedingly rare event, and it is actually more common than many parents think, according to Jacobs. He said, "This is a phenomenon that kids 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 years old are clearly aware of, and I think that's significant."