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Huffing and puffing all the way to the morgue |
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Saturday, 05 July 2008 |
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Photo and Story by SHAWN YORKS
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"It's just a cheap way of getting high and can cause some serious damage,” says Guymon Police Chief Eddie Adamson who says officers have caught local kids huffing and adds that it is a national epidemic.
The simplest of products can be turned into the deadliest thanks to a practice known as "huffing."
Huffing is a nationwide epidemic — especially among children ages 12-14 primarily because they can use any easily accessible household aerosol spray. And according to www.DrGreene.com, huffing can kill the very first time a child tries it.
"Besides sudden cardiac arrest (the most common cause of death from inhalants), huffing can kill quickly in a number of other ways. Motor vehicle accidents, falls and other traumatic injuries are common. Others die from suffocation, burns, suicide (from the depression that can follow the high), and from choking in their own vomit," the Website said.
And huffing doesn't kill you, it damages the body — especially the brain. Huffing can cause memory loss, impaired concentration, hearing loss, loss of coordination and permanent brain damage. Chronic use can also cause permanent heart, lung, liver and kidney damage, as well.
Guymon Police Chief Eddie Adamson said that officers here will occasionally come across kids who have been huffing.
"It's just a cheap way of getting high and can cause some serious damage," Adamson said. "It's truly a national problem. It's not just down here, it's everywhere."
The key word is cheap.
Kids can huff solvents such as those found in glue, paint and polish, fuels such as butane, nitrites such as those found in deodorizers, and any kind of aerosol spray.
And most huffing takes place when friends get together, although kids have been known to sniff correction fluid during school when the teacher isn't looking.
So what are parents supposed to do when kids can huff just about anything for a quick high?
"Be observant of your child and his or her friends," according to DrGreene.com. "If you suspect or discover that your child is huffing, get professional help. Treating inhalant abuse is very difficult and requires expert intervention. Withdrawal symptoms may last for weeks. The relapse rate without a long-term program is very high."
Inhalants stay in the body for up to two weeks following huffing. The biggest clues include a characteristic odor. Be on the lookout for breath or clothing that smells like chemicals. Look for clothing stains and watch for spots or sores around the mouth.
Nausea, lack of appetite, weight loss, nervousness, restlessness and outbursts of anger are all signs of inhalant abuse. A drunk, dazed or glassy-eyed appearance might mean your kid is abusing inhalants.
"Preventing huffing is far better than trying to treat an inhalant addiction," according to DrGreene.com. "Talking with your child about it is more powerful than anything else."
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Last Updated ( Monday, 07 July 2008 )
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