I remember when I was about 10 years old, I tried to buy some airplane glue from a local hobby shop in Sacramento, where I grew up. "You have to have your mom or dad's permission," said the clerk. I couldn't figure out what that was all about. It wasn't like I was trying to buy cigarettes or beer. But it turns out that even back in 1964 we knew that there were some things that don't seem like drugs that could have dangerous effects when not used as intended.
But it's not just airplane glue. There are number of common household items that can be inhaled to achieve a certain euphoria. Some of these "inhalants" are "white out," computer dust off spray, gasoline, certain paints, some solvents, propane, the propellant in some aerosols (e.g.whipping cream cans in the dairy section), nitrous oxide, and the list goes on. These are all substances that can produce intoxication that lasts anywhere from a few seconds to much, much longer.
You may ask, "Why would anyone want to do that kind of a thing?" Good question. Often it's a younger child or teen or cannot afford or cannot find another harder to get drug or alcohol. It could be a homeless person who finds it cheaper and more efficient to get high off of paint or something else. It could be a college student thrill seeking just to see what happens.
You may also ask, "Is this addictive?" The answer is, "Yes." Inhalants can become habit forming and cause people who are addicted to them to seek them out in a compulsive way, much like an alcoholic who can't do without a drink or a heroin addict who needs that drug.
Another question might be, "What's so dangerous about inhalants?" Inhalants are one class of intoxicants that can begin to cause brain and/or physical damage to body organs right away. In addition, think about how a person uses this type of drug. The user essentially breathes in a volatile or poisonous substance into their lungs, depriving themselves of a full dose of oxygen or maybe depriving themselves of oxygen at all. That sounds dangerous to me!
What about treatment for inhalant abuse? I don't know of any inhalant abuse specific treatment center in Nevada but I do know that most treatment centers are equipped to handle a variety of issues and problems, which means that most inhalant abusers can access help through the treatment system in our state.
At JTNN we'd like to make you more aware of the potential dangers that can be found in some of the most mundane household items. For more info, you can go to
http://www.inhalants.org/about.htm.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Science of Prevention
Substance abuse prevention seems like a simple idea. You prevent substance abuse. Of course I was taught in third grade never to define something using the same word (i.e. prevention is preventing something) because it doesn't add to the conversation and doesn't help us understand what that word really means. So, what does substance abuse prevention really mean? What are we trying to prevent?
The most obvious answer is that we are trying to prevent first use of a chemical substance. In fact, that's a great goal. But then does that mean we forget about the kids that have already tried something? And why do we care about preventing some 14 year old kid from trying beer or marijuana? After all you might say, "I did that and I turned out just fine."
The answer to why we want to keep that young person away from alcohol and other drugs is simple. We now know that children who try or use alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana before the age of 21 increase their chances of becoming addicted by many times over compared to the young person that we hold off from trying anything before he or she turns 21. In fact, people that don't try any alcohol or drug before age 21 rarely become addicted.
That doesn't solve the problem, though, because chemical addiction is a very complex issue and has many, many causes. Only one of those causes and contributing factors is an early initiation to use of an addictive substance. But it is key to emphasize, especially in a place like Nevada, that early drinking, smoking, or drug use is not a rite of passage and not a prerequisite for growing up properly.
Consider this: When JTNN compared the information provided by middle and high school students in school based surveys in 2005 we found that over 30% of 17 year olds that tried alcohol at age 8 or less had tried methamphetamine by the time they were 17. Those who tried alcohol at older ages had less involvement with methamphetamine. The numbers double for those who tried marijuana by age 8 with over 61% who did so also using meth by the time they were 17. This alone is huge in that much of our prevention efforts need to be spent in helping young children learn the value of and make the decision not to try even the so called "gateway" drugs of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.
But there's more. This doesn't mean that a child who has tried something is destined to a life of addiction. Our prevention efforts should still be geared to help that child make healthy decisions and to help him or her decide not to use again. We may even need to offer some of our youth strong education, sanctions, and even treatment, when the situation calls for it.
What are we trying to prevent? I think the picture is clear that we need to work toward preventing the decision to use a chemical substance. But we also need to help those who have started to make a decision to stop. The real prevention item here can be stated in a more positive way which is that we want to help youth make the best decisions that will ensure a life that is not impacted or destroyed by chemical substances.
The most obvious answer is that we are trying to prevent first use of a chemical substance. In fact, that's a great goal. But then does that mean we forget about the kids that have already tried something? And why do we care about preventing some 14 year old kid from trying beer or marijuana? After all you might say, "I did that and I turned out just fine."
The answer to why we want to keep that young person away from alcohol and other drugs is simple. We now know that children who try or use alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana before the age of 21 increase their chances of becoming addicted by many times over compared to the young person that we hold off from trying anything before he or she turns 21. In fact, people that don't try any alcohol or drug before age 21 rarely become addicted.
That doesn't solve the problem, though, because chemical addiction is a very complex issue and has many, many causes. Only one of those causes and contributing factors is an early initiation to use of an addictive substance. But it is key to emphasize, especially in a place like Nevada, that early drinking, smoking, or drug use is not a rite of passage and not a prerequisite for growing up properly.
Consider this: When JTNN compared the information provided by middle and high school students in school based surveys in 2005 we found that over 30% of 17 year olds that tried alcohol at age 8 or less had tried methamphetamine by the time they were 17. Those who tried alcohol at older ages had less involvement with methamphetamine. The numbers double for those who tried marijuana by age 8 with over 61% who did so also using meth by the time they were 17. This alone is huge in that much of our prevention efforts need to be spent in helping young children learn the value of and make the decision not to try even the so called "gateway" drugs of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.
But there's more. This doesn't mean that a child who has tried something is destined to a life of addiction. Our prevention efforts should still be geared to help that child make healthy decisions and to help him or her decide not to use again. We may even need to offer some of our youth strong education, sanctions, and even treatment, when the situation calls for it.
What are we trying to prevent? I think the picture is clear that we need to work toward preventing the decision to use a chemical substance. But we also need to help those who have started to make a decision to stop. The real prevention item here can be stated in a more positive way which is that we want to help youth make the best decisions that will ensure a life that is not impacted or destroyed by chemical substances.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
When my mom was having kids (3 of us), her standard for prenatal care came from a book written by Johns Hopkins University in 1949, entitled, "Expectant Motherhood." This book stipulates "safe" levels of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Sixty plus years ago the prevailing medical wisdom was that a pregnant woman shouldn't smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day (remember these were non filtered in the late '40s) and she shouldn't drink more than two alcoholic drinks per day.
I'm sure that my mom smoked a little and she drank in moderation during all of her pregnancies, although I did ask her once about her level of use and she replied that she cut down from her usual moderate levels during pregnancy, just to make sure. Anyway, my brother, sister, and I are in our 50s and so far it appears that we are doing OK. So, what's all the buzz about women smoking, drinking, and using certain drugs during pregnancy?
Since the 1940s, our knowledge about what is safe and unsafe for an unborn child has increased exponentially. We've known for a long time that pregnant women shouldn't smoke cigarettes at all. And the standard for drinking is, "There are no safe levels of alcohol during pregnancy."
That last statement is a little puzzling because I'm sure my mom drank a little during all of her pregnancies. Is there something missing here? Can't a pregnant woman just drink a little and not worry about it?
Answering that question requires an understanding of what alcohol does and when it does it during the pregnancy. You see, the unborn child is affected by the alcohol in relation to the precise development that he/she is going through at the time the alcohol is ingested. So, if a woman drinks a few drinks a night during the time that certain organs are being formed, then it is possible that those organs may be impacted by that drinking. Related to that is the fact that no one really knows how much alcohol is too much during pregnancy so it's proper and safe to say, "Don't drink at all during pregnancy."
Another issue is the woman who is addicted. What should she do? Well, I hope that everyone that is addicted gets help and gets into recovery. In the case of an addicted woman who is pregnant, the best advise is, "Quit immediately, get help for your addiction problem, and seek prenatal care!"
This cannot be stated plainly enough. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and all of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are totally preventable if a woman doesn't use alcohol or other drugs while pregnant. If she uses a chemical substance and finds out she's pregnant, then quitting immediately is the next best thing.
There's a lot to say on this topic and I'll return to it later in the year. But suffice it to say that often pregnant women don't get the help they need because they are embarrassed, ashamed, or just don't understand. We need to take time to engage these women in any way we can for their sake and for the sake of their children.
I'm sure that my mom smoked a little and she drank in moderation during all of her pregnancies, although I did ask her once about her level of use and she replied that she cut down from her usual moderate levels during pregnancy, just to make sure. Anyway, my brother, sister, and I are in our 50s and so far it appears that we are doing OK. So, what's all the buzz about women smoking, drinking, and using certain drugs during pregnancy?
Since the 1940s, our knowledge about what is safe and unsafe for an unborn child has increased exponentially. We've known for a long time that pregnant women shouldn't smoke cigarettes at all. And the standard for drinking is, "There are no safe levels of alcohol during pregnancy."
That last statement is a little puzzling because I'm sure my mom drank a little during all of her pregnancies. Is there something missing here? Can't a pregnant woman just drink a little and not worry about it?
Answering that question requires an understanding of what alcohol does and when it does it during the pregnancy. You see, the unborn child is affected by the alcohol in relation to the precise development that he/she is going through at the time the alcohol is ingested. So, if a woman drinks a few drinks a night during the time that certain organs are being formed, then it is possible that those organs may be impacted by that drinking. Related to that is the fact that no one really knows how much alcohol is too much during pregnancy so it's proper and safe to say, "Don't drink at all during pregnancy."
Another issue is the woman who is addicted. What should she do? Well, I hope that everyone that is addicted gets help and gets into recovery. In the case of an addicted woman who is pregnant, the best advise is, "Quit immediately, get help for your addiction problem, and seek prenatal care!"
This cannot be stated plainly enough. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and all of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are totally preventable if a woman doesn't use alcohol or other drugs while pregnant. If she uses a chemical substance and finds out she's pregnant, then quitting immediately is the next best thing.
There's a lot to say on this topic and I'll return to it later in the year. But suffice it to say that often pregnant women don't get the help they need because they are embarrassed, ashamed, or just don't understand. We need to take time to engage these women in any way we can for their sake and for the sake of their children.
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