ViewPoint
is the quarterly newsletter of the National Inhalant Prevention
Coalition. The publication was created to help community groups,
businesses, schools, volunteers, media and prevention organizations
learn about inhalant abuse. Subscriptions to ViewPoint
are free. To subscribe, contact Meghan Griffiths at 1201 W.
Sixth Street, Suite C-200, Austin Texas 78703. You may also
call 1-800-269-4237 or e-mail NIPC to subscribe.
Selected
Articles
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to ViewPoint today!
Summer
1997 Articles:
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Making
a Difference: Inhalant Treatment Facility Helps Kickapoo
Tribe Fight Inhalant Addiction
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|
Poison
Center Notes Early Childhood Inhalant Use
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Nitrous
Oxide - Signs & Symptoms
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|
Inhalant
Testing Raises Questions & Concerns
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|
1997
NIPAW Nationwide Events
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|
Letters
to NIPC
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|
NIPC
Partners & Benefactors
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News
Briefs: CADCA Announces National Leadership Forum;
Press Conference Marks New Inhalant PSA & Survey
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|
A
Comment: NIPC -- What's Our Story
|
People
Making a Difference :
Fires Ignite Prevention - Tragedies Inspire
Dayton and Hyannis to Raise Inhalant Awareness
Source:
Spring 1997 ViewPoint
When
flames ripped through an East Dayton home of three huffers,
toluene and other paints in the apartment helped ignite a
blaze that quickly went beyond control. Perhaps the outcome
of the July 1996 fire would not have been lethal if the three
victims, all in their mid-30s, had not been under the influence
of toluene, a powerful industrial solvent used in paints and
adhesives and often misused to get high. Perhaps they would
have had the wherewithal to escape.
Dayton
Fire & Inhalant Death Calls Community to Action
While
the outcome of the fire was tragic, the fatalities have propelled
the Dayton community to work towards a solution to the problem
of inhalant abuse. One Ohio State Senator, in particular,
organized a community response to the tragedy. Sen. Rhine
McLin, from the East Dayton area, initiated an outdoor billboard
campaign that has been underwritten by Key-Ads, Inc., a local
advertising firm. Lamarr Outdoor Advertising also posted inhalant
awareness billboards in the Dayton area.
"Once
my awareness of the problem was raised, I wanted to organize
local experts in the field of drug treatment and education
so they could get an inhalant abuse education and prevention
campaign started," McLin reported. McLin sent letters to local
experts requesting they meet and develop a community action
plan and also contacted NIPAW Partner Earl Siegel, University
of Cincinnati Medical Center associate professor of emergency
medicine, for information. "It was a way for me to reach out
to my urban Appalachian constituents while also working towards
a solution to this grave threat to our young people," she
added.
In
February, the first ten billboards featuring anti-sniffing
messages and the NIPC "800" number went up around Dayton.
Ten more billboards will appear throughout the year as space
becomes available, said Key-Ads representative Karen Birkhold,
the company that underwrote the ad campaign and furnished
artwork, design and billboard space.
McLin
and Key-Ads consulted with NIPC prior to putting up the billboards
which resulted in a number of phone inquiries requesting inhalant
information. "We'd like to do something to educate the public,"
Birkhold added. The company donated their services following
McLin's compelling letter requesting their help.
In
addition to coverage of the apartment fire by the Dayton
Daily News, Ohioans have garnered national attention from
a May 1996 Reader's Digest article on the sniffing
death of a Tipp City 12-year-old boy who died from huffing
solvents, a practice he learned from schoolmates. After his
death, his parents reported that they had no idea what warning
signs to look for, and their son had no idea that the solvents
he was inhaling could kill him. The article, which listed
NIPC's "800" number has resulted in thousands of calls from
concerned parents and substance abuse professionals seeking
more information on inhalants.
Since
the tragic deaths, McLin's community response initiative has
resulted in the airing of radio and television public service
announcements, meetings with community coalitions for a call
to action and organizations involved are currently looking
to solicit area businesses to restrict the sale of inhalants.
Hyannis
Homeless Shelter Blaze Alerts Community to Huffing Problem
The
fire in Dayton was not an isolated incident. The chemicals
in inhalants have been the cause of other tragic fires that
have opened communities' eyes to inhalant use.
On
November 24, the CHAMP House, a youth homeless shelter in
Hyannis, Massachusetts, was destroyed by a massive blaze that
started when two residents inhaled propane and lit a cigarette.
Both boys suffered injuries. While the seventeen-year-old
recovered shortly after the fire, the nineteen-year-old suffered
burns over 45 percent of his body. As of early March, he was
still in the hospital and expected to be released soon to
a residential drug treatment program.
Like
Dayton, the fire has alerted the community to inhalants. "This
really brought it home," said Thomas Fagan, an intern at the
CHAMP House who is now bringing National Inhalants & Poisons
Awareness Week (NIPAW) to the area. "Inhalant abuse is never
mentioned [in the drug prevention field], but, as the literature
says, it's right under our nose."
Fagan
and others from the CHAMP House have started a program called
Project Air to coincide with NIPAW. The Hyannis medical community,
schools, fire and police department are using materials donated
from NIPC. The coalition has distributed brochures to all
medical doctors in the county and distributed the NIPC pledge
against inhalants to area middle school students. The coalition
will also be talking to middle schools about inhalants, and
the Hyannis fire lieutenant has designed a label to be placed
on all propane tanks in the area.
"We
want to thank NIPC for the materials they sent us. It's really
done a lot for the community," Fagan added. Fortunately, no
one was killed in the CHAMP House fire, and support from the
community has brought in over $100,000 for the shelter to
rebuild in a former nursing home.
Articles
in the Cape Cod Times also alerted the community to
what can happen when common, everyday products are misused
to get high. An interview with NIPC Executive Director Harvey
Weiss resulted in phone calls from area residents who wanted
to learn more about inhalant use.
Despite
the unfortunate circumstances, both Dayton and Hyannis have
used their tragedies to raise inhalant awareness.
For
information on the Dayton program, contact Legislative Aide
Amanda Dime-Gamble in Sen. McLin's office at 614-466-6247.
Fagan can be reached at the CHAMP House at 508-771-0885.
Return
to Index
Helium:
Not a Laughing Matter
Source:
Spring 1997 ViewPoint
While
toxicity related to helium use is low, using helium for more
than just blowing up party balloons is not a laughing matter.
Parents often set a poor example when they inhale helium to
"talk like Donald Duck" or allow their kids to experiment
with helium gas to have fun at a party. Misuse of gases by
role models is not only dangerous to their bodies, it can
lead to further abuse of inhalants by their children.
The
September 1996 Annals of Emergency Medicine reported
that inhaling helium has resulted in seizure and lung damage.
In one such instance, a 13-year-old boy became unconscious
and had a ten-minute seizure after inhaling helium from a
pressurized tank at a party.
Physicians
discovered that the boy had a cerebral gas embolism, in addition
to lung damage caused by uncontrollable lung expansion. The
boy recovered after several sessions in a hyperbaric chamber.
"Inhaling
this gas changes the way vibrations come through the voice
box," said Dr. Earl Siegel, associate professor of emergency
medicine at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. "Sometimes
people, as a party game or in jest, deliberately inhale helium
into their lungs, and it has activity on the voice box that
makes them talk like Donald Duck."
"Serious
cases are rare and mostly related to the mechanical damage
of introducing a highly compressed gas into your lungs," Siegel
said. However, he pointed out that it is best not to set a
poor precedent for children to follow. "Promoting any practice
that encourages the unnecessary introduction of chemicals
into our bodies is unwise. I think we can quack like a duck
without helium."
Return
to Index
Surveys
Show Inhalants Continue to Rise
Source:
Fall 1996 ViewPoint
"More
than 1 million youth tried inhalants last year, and an estimated
660,000 users tried inhalants for the first time in 1994,
up from 428,000 in 1991." -- SAMSHA
New
statistics from the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration's (SAMSHA) "1995 Household Survey" indicate
that inhalant use continues to rise at an alarming rate; a
1995 National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) "Monitoring the
Future" Survey also shows a similar trend in the nation's
schools.
More
than 1 million youth tried inhalants last year, according
to the SAMSHA study. There also were an estimated 660,000
users who tried inhalants for the first time in 1994, up from
428,000 in 1991. In their lifetime, more than 12 million people
ages 12 and older have tried huffing correction fluid, glue,
gasoline, spray paint and a myriad of other dangerous products
that potentially cause brain damage or even death.
While
few parents and teachers ever consider themselves drug-pushers,
they are unfortunately learning that inhalants are right under
their nose. Young people can get high on more than 1,000 legal,
useful, everyday products. Many of the products are right
under the kitchen sink, in the garage and in the classroom.
The popularity of inhalants as the "drug of choice" of the
nineties is only increasing. SAMSHA indicates that the rate
of first use among youth ages 12 - 17 rose significantly from
1991 to 1994, from 11.2 to 22.2 per 1,000.
NIDA
statistics show equally grave findings. Between 1994 and 1995,
lifetime inhalant use for 8th graders increased from 19.9
percent to 21.6; 18 percent to 19 for 10th graders; and, dropped
from 17.7 percent to 17.4 for 12th graders. Statistics for
upper grade level usage remain inconclusive as many chronic
inhalant abusers drop out of high school by the 12th grade,
and, therefore, are not included in the study.
Since
1991, the dangerous trend is even more apparent. Lifetime
inhalant usage has shot up from 17.6 percent of 8th graders
using inhalants to 21.6; 15.7 percent of 10th graders to 19;
and, 17.6 percent of 12th graders to 17.4.
Who
are the inhalant users? Contrary to stereotypes, they are
not poor, inner-city minorities. According to SAMSHA, users
are predominately white males, ages 12 and older. The use
of inhalants is popular in peer groups, and considered a gateway
drug to further substance abuse. The epidemic is spreading
nationwide, and increasing throughout both rural and urban
America, with the heaviest concentration of inhalant abuse
in rural counties.
Why
do inhalants surpass other more well known drugs as the rage
of the nineties? Simple. They are cheap, available and legal
to buy. Young people, parents and teachers have all been warned
to be on the lookout for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
but few know the fatal consequences of sniffing chemicals
in correction fluid, markers, spray paint and lighter fluid.
As many parents say after they have lost a child to inhalants,
they just didn't know that inhalants were something to add
to the list of worries.
How
can you fight the problem? Prevention through education. After
significant prevention efforts, studies in Texas indicated
a greater than 20 percent decrease in the number of high school
students who ever used inhalants and an over 30 percent decrease
for elementary students from 1992 to 1994. These statistics
are staggering considering that this decline occurred following
years of increasing usage. This successful anti-inhalant campaign
involved media, retailers, schools and prevention organizations.
When funding was eliminated for state-wide inhalant prevention
efforts in 1995, Texas inhalant usage started creeping up
again. Clearly, there is a relationship between prevention
and education. Without such programs, expect usage to continue
to rise.
Return
to Index
NIPAW
1997
Source:
Fall 1996 ViewPoint
Prevention
through education works. As recent studies indicate that inhalant
abuse continues to rise, the National Inhalant Prevention
Coalition is gearing up for the fourth annual National Inhalants
& Poisons Awareness Week (NIPAW), March 16 - 23, 1997.
NIPAW is a media-based community level education and awareness
effort designed to increase understanding about the use and
risks of inhalant involvement. It has proven to be an effective
means of mobilizing communities to reduce inhalant use. More
than 1,000 organizations from every state participated in
the last NIPAW campaign.
Who
should join? NIPAW Partners have included sponsors from state
government agencies (education, health, alcohol & drug,
etc.), state associations such as retailers, medical and pharmacy
groups, state alliances of the Partnership for a Drug-Free
America, local anti-drug coalitions, community and regional
drug and alcohol councils, police departments and DARE officers,
district attorneys, scout troops, firefighters, the National
Guard, PTO/PTA chapters, faith communities, civic and voluntary
organizations, student councils, local retailers, schools,
individual parents, Poison Control Centers, local medical
communities (hospitals, emergency medical services, individual
doctors and nurses, retailers, pharmacists, etc.) and TV and
radio stations &emdash; just to mention a few. If you fall
into any of these groups and want to prevent or reduce inhalant
use in your community &emdash; this campaign is for you.
Does
NIPAW work? Yes. Results from Texas, where extensive state-wide
NIPAW campaigns have been conducted, have been remarkable.
Between 1992 and 1994, there was a reduction of more than
30 percent in elementary school inhalant use and a reduction
of more than 20 percent at the high school level (based on
state agency surveys of more than 176,000 students). This
translates into over 100,000 students who may have used inhalants
but didn't.
What
do I get when I join NIPAW?
Each
NIPAW Partner receives a local coordinator's kit. The kit
includes:
up to date statistics about inhalant abuse in the country
How To" guide to conduct a local media/awareness campaign
background information
suggested activities
tips on working effectively with the media
camera ready art for print reproduction (with space to add local identification)
for bag stuffers, window posters, newspaper print ads, brochures
and handout flyers
sample copy for letters to the editor, op eds, radio scripts, editorials
and news releases
camera ready art for overhead presentations
regular NIPAW UPDATES indicating what other Partners are doing and
any new statistics or information that becomes available
list of NIPAW Partners in your state
(Print
art is available in two versions in each kit: one with the
products depicted and the other without the products. Coordinator's
kit are available in English and Spanish.)
Return
to Index
Inhalant
Deaths Often Undetected
Source:
Summer 1994 ViewPoint
Deaths
of inhalant abusers may be listed as "undetermined" on a death
certificate because a specific screening test for inhalants
was not part of an autopsy, according to three Southwest medical
examiners. For this reason inhalants as either the main cause
or a contributing factor in a death are most likely underreported,
especially at the national level.
"Deaths
are sometimes listed as undetermined if good toxicology has
not been done," said Suzanne Dana, Deputy Medical Examiner
for Travis County. Unless a specific toxicology test for volatiles
and solvents is run, called gas chromotography, evidence of
their use most likely will not show up in the more common
toxicology tests performed.
Most
rural areas and smaller towns and cities do not have labs
with the capability of determining if inhalants were a cause
of death, according to James C. Garriot, chief toxicologist
with the Bexar County Forensic Science Center. "Unless they
send (specimens) off to major cities such as Dallas/Ft. Worth,
Houston, Austin or San Antonio, inhalants as a cause of death
will be undetected," Garriot said.
"The
annual statistics for inhalant death are horrendously underreported,
especially national statistics," said Dr. Timothy Rohrig,
chief forensic toxicologist for Oklahoma and National Inhalant
Prevention Coalition member. "In many instances a coroner
will view the body and make a decision without a thorough
medical exam. A lot of coroners are not doctors, they may
have been appointed or elected. You really have to be looking
for (traces of inhalants) to pick them up in an autopsy."
Although
few deaths were found to be directly due to inhalant toxicity
during a recent six-year study by Bexar County medical examiners,
a striking correlation was made relating inhalants with violent
deaths. In 39 deaths in which the presence of inhalant chemicals
were detected by blood screening, suicide (28%), accidents
(26%) and homicide (23%) were the top three causes of death,
followed by inhalant-induced death (18%). Involvement of inhalants
was suspected due to external physical evidence at the scene
or during the autopsy.
The
recent deaths of two Austin-area males who abused inhalants
is also indicative of the contributing part inhalants play
in some fatalities even if they are not listed as the main
cause of death.
The
case of a 30-year-old Round Rock man who died May 14 after
drinking alcohol and inhaling spray paint is an example of
a local justice of the peace who is on the lookout for signs
of inhalant abuse. The Hispanic male died of a blood vessel
rupture in his brain, according to the medical examiner's
report released by Jimmy Bitz, a Williamson County justice
of the peace.
"There
was toluene, a component of spray paint, found in his bloodstream,"
Bitz said, who requested that the Travis County medical examiner
test for inhalants. "He had spray paint on his hands and was
said to be a longtime inhalant abuser by those who knew him."
Although the official cause of death was listed as an aneurysm,
Bitz said, "something had to have contributed to that vessel
rupture."
Just
a few miles east of Round Rock, an 18-year old Hutto male
was found dead from a gun pellet that pierced his eye and
went into his brain. A rag soaked with gasoline was found
next to his body. Judge Judy Hobbs, a Williamson County justice
of the peace who ruled the death accidental, explained that
although inhalants were not directly the cause of death, they
were a factor.
"Unless
we start tenaciously tracking inhalant abuse, it's not going
to become a major issue," Hobbs said. "I wish there was some
way we could test them before death occurs".
Return
to Index
National
PTA Adopts Inhalant Resolution
Source:
Summer 1994 ViewPoint
At
its national convention, the PTA adopted a resolution to promote
and encourage education programs and increase public awareness
of inhalant abuse throughout its membership. The resolution
was prepared by National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC)
member Jane Chittick.
The
PTA becomes the first national education and parent organization
to officially recognize and address the problem of inhalant
abuse. PTA membership consists of almost 7 million persons
in over 26,000 local units, throughout the world.
"This
is a great leap forward in our efforts to make parents and
children aware of the dangers of using inhalants. A special
thanks to Tennessee's Jane Chittick and Pinkie Porcher of
Amarillo," said Harvey Weiss, TPP executive director and NIPC
chair.
"Only
with the help of the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition
and the Texas Prevention Partnership, and their members, was
I able to develop the background information needed to be
fully aware in inhalant education," said Chittick. "Our PTA
members and most of the public are unaware of the dangers
of inhalants. With the passage of this resolution, local PTA
units will be made aware and can look forward to more information
from the national organization," Chittick continued.
At
the national convention, Weiss presented a workshop on inhalant
prevention tactics to over 50 participants representing a
cross section of the national PTA membership.
The
National PTA Resolution
Whereas,
Inhalant abuse is the deliberate act of inhaling concentrated
amounts of fumes (also called sniffing or huffing) from volatile
legal products (rubber cement, spray paint, permanent felt
tip markers, vegetable cooking oil spray, typewriter fluid,
hair spray, nail polish, gasoline, automotive cleaners and
fluids, aerosol propellants, cleaning fluids, and glue, to
name a few) for the purpose of mood alteration and/or becoming
intoxicated; and
Whereas,
There has been a gradual, but steady increase in inhalant
use from 1980-1990; and
Whereas,
SAFE (Solvent Abuse Foundation for Education) reports there
are about 1.8 million inhalant abusers (ages 12-17) in the
United States; and
Whereas,
Repeated episodes can cause progressive damage or deterioration
of the brain and/or body, and any single sniffing episode
can be fatal; and
Whereas,
One of the objects of PTA is to promote the welfare of children
and youth; now therefore be it
Resolved,
That the National PTA, through its constituent bodies, promote
and encourage age-appropriate educational programs about Inhalant
Abuse; and be it further
Resolved,
That the National PTA, through its constituent bodies, increase
public awareness about the methods, symptoms, effects, and
dangers of Inhalant Abuse.
Return
to Index
TCADA Report Cites
Inhalant Deaths
Source:
Fall 1994 ViewPoint
According
to official records, an average of 15 Texans a year died of
inhalant abuse from 1990-1993, based on death certificates
obtained from the Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
As with all drug overdose deaths, underreporting of inhalant
deaths occurs because not all death certificates that involve
drugs will show that drugs were involved.
Fifteen
Texans died of inhalant use in 1993, according to an analysis
of death certificates by Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Research Department Director Jane Maxwell.
People
who died from inhalant use often don't fit the stereotype,
Maxwell said; they're white, male and are an average of 26
years old. In fact, the youngest average age of those who
died from inhalant use in any of the four years was 21, in
1991. The average death in 1993 was 30.
Freon,
by far the most common substance listed on the death certificates
in the study, was cited as the cause of death in an average
of six cases a year. Toluene and trichlorethane are the next
most common substances. Toluene is found in gas additives
and spray paint, while trichlorethane is found in correction
fluid, Scotchguard and spot remover. Nitrous oxide -- "laughing
gas" -- is cited as the cause of death in at least one case
a year. For more information about the report, contact Jane
Maxwell, TCADA, (512) 867-8829.
Inhalant
Overdose Deaths
Return
to Index
British
Solvent Abuse Parallels Inhalant Use in Texas
Source:
Winter 1993 ViewPoint
The
terminology may be different but the problems are the same.
Inhalants, referred to as solvents in Great Britain, are as
serious a problem as in the United States, according to Richard
Ives.
Ives
is a trustee of RE-SOLV, the British counterpart to the Solvent
Abuse Education Foundation in the U.S., and a consultant to
the National Children's Bureau solvent misuse project in his
country. He visited TPP [currently known as the National Inhalant
Prevention Coalition] offices, where he met staff and Michelle
Horneber from Texas Education Agency Drug Use Prevention Program,
to review TPP's inhalant initiative and exchange information
about prevention.
One
article referred to solvent abuse in Great Britain as "the
fad that never fades." Statistics mirror those of Texas with
about one in four of middle school children having experimented
with "solvents." Ives participated in a Pan-European Inhalant
Conference last year and reported that solvent abuse is a
problem throughout Europe also.
Ives
said that the annual number of deaths attributed to solvent
abuse in the United Kingdom has been steadily increasing since
the early eighties with 149 deaths reported in 1990.
In
1985 Britain passed the Intoxicating Substances (Supply) Act.
The act states in part, "It is an offense for a person to
supply or offer to supply a substance other than a controlled
drug:
a.
to a person under the age of eighteen whom he knows or has
reasonable cause to believe, to be under that age; or,
b.
to a person:
(i)
who is acting on behalf of a person under that age; and
(ii)
whom he knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, to be so
acting, if he knows or has reasonable cause to believe that
the substance is, or its fumes are, likely to be inhaled by
the person under the age of eighteen for purpose of causing
intoxication.
Ives
contributed two books he edited and other inhalant materials
to the TPP Resource Bank.
Return
to Index
Inhalant
Abuse in Complex Spurs Call for Help
Source:
Spring 1994 ViewPoint
Two
Austin youths recently inhaled octane booster and then used
a knife to rob the vendor of a passing ice cream truck of
$1.40.
The
crime disgusted Ann Hall, property manager of the federally
funded apartment complex where the boys live and prompted
her to action. She contacted TPP to request materials and
is aggressively ensuring that the 350 children and their parents
in the Section 8 complex learn about the dangers of inhalant
use. She has already shown Inhalants: An Adult Primer and
reported excellent response from parents.
Her
next target will be the kids: "A young group of kids out here
decided they would have a gang, and the younger kids who see
them with inhalants might think that it's cool," Hall said.
"Those two kids who robbed the ice cream truck may already
be lost, but by showing the other kids the video we are trying
to convince them to communicate to adults when they see their
peers inhaling. We want to let them know they could help save
a life from physical and mental damage."
Hall
said that many of her parents were shocked at some of the
statistics on inhalant abuse. "One mother told me, 'I never
even thought about whiteout or deodorant sprays being inhaled.'
So she went and asked her kid, 'Do you ever smell these items,'
and her kid said, 'Well, yeah, it makes me dizzy and I like
it.'"
Hall
added, "We do have a problem right now with mainly 12 to 14-year-olds
inhaling substances. We have (a population of) about 55 percent
Hispanic here and inhalants seem popular with them." To combat
the growing problem, Hall and other parents will hold an ice
cream social for the children on April 29 and show the TPP
video, Silent Epidemic. She has already started her education
campaign with TPP posters.
Return
to Index
National
Inhalant Prevention Coalition Forms
Source:
Summer 1993 ViewPoint
A
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition was formed as a result
of TPP's successful Inhalant & Poison Awareness Week.
In
April, representatives from several states that are interested
in inhalant use prevention and treatment came to Austin for
a roundtable organized by TPP and partially funded by the
BEST Foundation for a Drug-Free Tomorrow. Government, private
foundations, industry, the medical profession, and inhalant
treatment and prevention specialists met to discuss ways to
collaborate and form a united front to counteract the prevalent
abuse of inhalants.
The
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided funding for a second
meeting in July and the National Inhalant Coalition was formalized
with a mission statement and development of goals and objective
for committees.
"Inhalant
use is a serious problem nationwide, but prevention and treatment
have not been coordinated and cohesive on a national level.
Because of TCADA's support for the TPP inhalant prevention
initiative, Texas has become a leader in this area and TPP
has been in contact with individuals and agencies from throughout
the country that have identified inhalant use as a serious
issue but often feel isolated in their efforts to counteract
the problems," said TPP Project Director Harvey Weiss, who
spearheaded the NIPC.
After
several months of research and discussion, Partnership for
a Drug-Free America (PDFA) agreed to develop inhalant prevention
messages with GSD&M, a noted Texas advertising agency,
donating their creative services. Representatives from PDFA
and GSD&M attended the April meeting and PDFA plans to
have an inhalant use prevention message ready for media distribution
this fall.
The
next coalition meeting will be held this fall.
MISSION
STATEMENT
The
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition is committed to developing
strategies to affect multinational public policy, increase
public awareness and action at the federal, state, regional
and local levels.
The
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition will actively network
and manage an information and resource clearinghouse for the
medical, educational and other community-involved organizations.
Return
to Index
Austin
Group Stages Rally to Alert Community About Octane Booster
Source:
Fall/Winter 1994 ViewPoint
Several
Austin organizations held a rally and march in November to
alert parents, merchants and educators to the widespread abuse
of inhaling octane booster and carburetor cleaner by youth
in their neighborhoods.
Jesse
Flores, executive director of Austin Youth Advocacy, spearheaded
the effort which attracted several hundred concerned citizens
who walked through the neighborhoods distributing flyers and
talking to merchants who sell octane booster.
TPP
provided technical assistance in a variety of ways including
planning, promotion, media coordination and participation
in the actual rally and march.
"We've
relied heavily on the resources and expertise of the Texas
Prevention Partnership (TPP), a statewide program that has
been working on the inhalant problem since 1990," Flores said.
Flores
said that the number of young people inhaling the octane booster
had reached an unconscionable level with an estimated 20 percent
of sixth graders at one elementary school being involved.
"We
felt we had to intervene and mount an ongoing effort, or we'd
soon see hundreds of these kids with brain damage. Death can
also occur, and we're trying to inform parents, teachers and
merchants of the problem before it's too late," Flores said.
Flores
said that most merchants who sell octane booster were not
aware that "kids are buying it to get high" and that once
they understand they will comply with state and local laws
governing the sale of this product and other inhalants to
young people.
Charles
Blanton, Texas Department of Health, provided the rally organizers
with regulatory information about the sale of inhalants to
minors.
Initially
only gang members were using octane booster but it has spread
to elementary students as young as 10 years old. Victor Acquino,
Southeast Corner Alliance Network, Austin Police Sergeant
Billy Sifuentes and Joe Hardin, a parent training specialist
at Metz Elementary, helped organize the rally and alerted
Austin Youth Advocacy to the escalating problem.
Flores
is committed to sustaining the campaign kicked off by the
rally and march until the inhalant problem is brought under
control. He has already held a follow-up meeting.
Flores
can be contacted at (512) 444-9505.
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