D. Plumberg Resources

Plumberg, D. (2000, January 14). Girls’ deaths raise ‘huffing’ fears. The Daily Oklahoman, p. 12-A.

OVERVIEW

In mid-January 2000, three teenage girls in Oklahoma City were found dead in a small outdoor shed. It appears that a space heater in the small room ignited a flash fire as the girls were sniffing gas fumes. Locally, in the past year, at least five fires have been started while people were "huffing," or inhaling intoxicants.

Just how do young people achieve the huffing high? According to the article,

…kids spray or pour organic solvents and volatile substances onto a rag or into a paper bag and hold it over their mouth, ‘huffing’ the fumes. Some skip putting the chemicals into a bag and just ‘sniff’ from containers.

The most common fumes inhaled are glue, gasoline, and aerosol paint. However, more than 1,000 household products contain "huffable" chemicals; thus, regulating this type of inhaling is difficult.

Huffing mimicks the intoxication of alcohol: "stimulation, loss of inhibition, followed by depression." And as any form of drug abuse, huffing is dangerous. In its most severe cases, it can result in heart failure or suffocation.

Why do kids choose to huff? Many kids cannot afford or access more expensive drugs; inhaling common chemicals offers a cheaper, easier high. Huffing is typically more common among young adolescents; the activity generally tapers off among older teens.

These signals may indicate that a young person has been huffing:

• Breath that smells like chemicals.
• Paint stains around the mouth or nose.
• Rash or sores around the mouth.
• Headaches, nausea, or loss of appetite.
• Drunken, dazed, or dizzy appearance.
• Red or runny nose and/or eyes.
• Sudden loss of memory or concentration.

Several studies have researched the epidemic. The University of Michigan published a study in late 1999 that finds that huffing has slowly declined since its 1995 peak, but the decrease in activity has been only "gradual." Among its findings, it notes that around 10 percent of 8th graders had huffed sometime in the past year. Additionally, a 1998 study by the National Parents’ Resource Institute suggests that 20.5 percent of young people will huff at least once, and 5 percent will inhale chemicals before eighth grade.

Many schools are pro-active in their attempts to reduce the incidence of huffing. Some schools discuss with fifth graders the dangers of huffing. Sniffing chemicals is also often addressed at all school levels during drug awareness weeks. Some school districts assign adults to mentor at-risk youth. Other schools offer weekly support groups. In Oklahoma, the state Education Department is designing new curriculum which includes discussions for inhalants.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What experience have youth in your area had with huffing?
2. Is the activity decreasing among kids? Why or why not?
3. While schools work to educate young children about the dangers of huffing, why do kids still try it?
4. How can you help young people from sniffing inhalants?
5. What common characteristics do you find among kids who have huffed? What are they searching for? What do they need?

IMPLICATIONS

1. Huffing may be declining among some populations, but it is still occurring at alarming levels.
2. It is important to know why young people seek this particular type of high, which seems "safe," but is markedly lethal.
3. Young people look for thrills and escapes in many ways. Youth workers should work to develop safe thrills for kids, and should also work to help young people face—instead of escape—the challenges in their lives.

Kathryn Q. Powers cCYS