Hotmail'Dusting' is the new killer high for teens
Inhalant abuse is often more dangerous and difficult to detect than other drug abuse. Inhalants such as glue, lighter fluid and spray paint are completely legal and found in every home — which often leads kids to think they are harmless — and abusers need to conceal only the act of inhaling, not the product.
But inhalants are addictive physically and psychologically, almost as much as alcohol.
"Not only was it the inhalant that was addictive, it was the lifestyle, the friends and the attention that I would receive when I did it," says Jessie Stotz.
But in the deadly new world of dusting, someone's first time seeking the high may also be their last.
In the United Kingdom, where deaths associated with these substances are tracked, 39 percent of the deaths occurred during the victim's first time.
Wolfe says the most important way to combat this drug abuse is to educate parents about it and to inform kids that the inhalants can kill them on the first try.
Other prevention methods include reading product labels regarding safety issues, and choosing to minimize aerosols in households by using pump sprays instead.
The warning signs of dusting are not easily detected, but these signs may indicate abuse:
- Disappearance of the product at a rapid rate
- Empty cans or containers of chemicals in trash cans
- Large stashes of a chemical product in the child’s room
- Strange smells on or around a child
- Residue of the product on a child's clothing or face
- Complaints of numbness of the tongue, vocal chords or throat
- Dazed looks or bloodshot eyes
Wolfe suggests that if parents suspect inhalant abuse, they should take their child for a drug and alcohol assessment before it is too late.
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