The Invisible Threat What SDFSCA Coordinators Need to Know Sharyl Adams Chesterfield County Youth Planning and Development Mary Lib Morgan Chesterfield.

The Invisible Threat

What SDFSCA Coordinators Need to Know

Sharyl Adams Chesterfield County Youth Planning and

Development

Mary Lib Morgan Chesterfield County Public Schools

Test Your Awareness

8th grade past 30-day use in VirginiaVirginia 2005 Community Youth Survey

1. Alcohol a. 8%2. Cigarettes b. 19%3. Marijuana c. 9%4. Inhalants d. 6%

VA Compared to National

0 %

1 %

2 %

3 %

4 %

5 %

6 %

7 %

8 %

8 t h 1 0 t h 1 2 t h

V i r g i n i a 2 0 0 5

N a t i o n a l 2 0 0 5

Past 30-day Use

2005 VA Community Youth Survey

2005 Monitoring the Future Survey

Increased Risk

Youth who had used an inhalant in the past year were:

• 3 times more likely to have used marijuana

• 7 times more likely to have used hallucinogens

• 8 times more likely to have used cocaine

• 2 times more likely to have used heroin2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

What Is Inhalant Abuse?

Inhalant abuse is the deliberate concentration and breathing of fumes, vapors or gases to get high.

Why Inhalants?

Available

Cheap

Legal

Perception of safety

Quick acting

Short-lived effects

Easy to use

Easy to conceal

Hard to detect

Social activity

Immediate Effects of Inhalants

Dizziness Lightheaded Giddiness Impaired

coordination Slurred speech Headache

Distorts senses Disoriented Excitability Unpredictability Headache Nausea Rapid pulse

Methods of Inhalant Abuse

Huffing

Sniffing

Bagging

Ballooning

Techniques of Use

Internet Examples

Dusting Huffing AXE body spray

Immediate Dangers from Abuse

Passing out

Burns

Frostbite

Injuries

Death

Long-term Effects

Memory loss Impaired vision Hearing loss Coordination deficits Slurred speech Reduced lung function Muscle weakness Bone marrow damage Depression Dementia

Potential Causes of Death

Suffocation

Asphyxiation

Aspiration (choking on vomit)

Choking on small plastic bags accidentally inhaled

Fire or explosion

Fatal injury while under the influence

Sudden Sniffing Death

Sudden Sniffing Death

Adrenalineincrease

Cardiac arrhythmia

What to Do If You Find a Student Huffing

Remain calm and keep the student calm.

Remove any source of chemicals from around the nose or mouth.

If student is unconscious, call 911. Turn on side to prevent aspiration of vomit.

If not breathing, administer CPR.

Do not leave the student alone.

Contact the administrator in charge and the school nurse.

Ventilate the area.

Check area for products and paraphernalia and save.

Contact poison center.

Products and/or ParaphernaliaProducts and/or Paraphernalia• Plastic bags with paint or chemical stains or Plastic bags with paint or chemical stains or

smellsmell

• Large quantities of productsLarge quantities of products

• Empty product containersEmpty product containers

• Rags, clothes, cotton balls with chemical odorRags, clothes, cotton balls with chemical odor

• Aerosols with loose topsAerosols with loose tops

Signs of Use

Physical SymptomsPhysical Symptoms• Disorientation or giddinessDisorientation or giddiness

• Excitability or volatilityExcitability or volatility

• Paint or chemical stains on face or handsPaint or chemical stains on face or hands

• Chemical odor on breath or clothingChemical odor on breath or clothing

• Red, pimply rash around nose or mouthRed, pimply rash around nose or mouth

• Slurred speechSlurred speech

• Sore tongueSore tongue

• Increase in quantity and intensity of headachesIncrease in quantity and intensity of headaches

Signs of Use

Special Areas of Concern in School Setting

Bathrooms Locker rooms Kitchens Technology education

classrooms Art classroom Science labs Custodial closets School grounds

Guidelines for Selecting Materials

Don’t use materials that• Talk about “high” or “head rush”• Identify specific products• Show how products are misused

DO use materials that• Use appropriate vocabulary – poisons,

body pollutants, fire hazards• Stress using products as intended

Example of What to Avoid

“Huffing: The Latest Facts About Inhalant Abuse”

Product Awards Video Librarian 3.5 stars out of 4 stars

American Library Association (ALA) Notable Children's Video

List Grades: 5 - 9

School System Policy

Inhalants included in drug policy?

Language consistent with language about other substances of abuse?

Teaching Kids About Inhalants

Primary Goals of Student Curriculum

To teach

• potential dangers of inhalable products

• importance of using products safely

• structures and functions of brain

• impact of brain health on body functions

• adverse effects of inhalants on brain and body

Targeted Approaches

Naïve vs. Knowledgeable

K-5• Naïve

• Inhalants taught in context of poisons, fire hazards and body pollution

Targeted Approaches

Grades 6-8

• Some naïve, some knowledgeable. Explore what they already know.

• You may be connecting inhalants with substance abuse here

• Substitute “experiencing toxic effects” for “getting high”

• Emphasize poisons’ rapid, unfiltered path to brain

• Strengthen refusal skills

Possible Units of Study

Poisons Fire safety Environment Personal health and safety First aid Brain science Decision making and problem solving Substance abuse prevention

Consistency Counts

Share the responsibility of teaching about inhalants.

Use the same vocabulary.

Send the same message.

Students can and should hear this message multiple times from multiple people in multiple settings.

Sample Interactive Lesson

FAST FACTS™ on the Brain, Oxygen and Toxic Substances Sample lesson - grades 6-8

Making the Invisible Visible

Marta Szuba, ChairMarta Szuba, Chair540-942-6757 540-942-6757

[email protected]@ci.waynesboro.va.us.

Next meeting: May 14, 10:30 am Next meeting: May 14, 10:30 am American Lung Association of VirginiaAmerican Lung Association of Virginia

9221 Forest Hill Avenue9221 Forest Hill AvenueRichmond, VA 23235Richmond, VA 23235

Virginia Inhalant Abuse PreventionCoalition

Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources

Interactive Parent Training Module Interactive Parent Training Module inhalantabusetraining.orginhalantabusetraining.org

National Inhalant Abuse Prevention National Inhalant Abuse Prevention CoalitionCoalition www.inhalants.org

Alliance for Consumer EducationAlliance for Consumer Educationwww.inhalant.org

Presenter Contact InformationPresenter Contact Information

Sharyl AdamsSharyl Adams

[email protected]

Mary Lib MorganMary Lib Morgan

[email protected]