Inhalants! Or by its street term, huffing. Huffing is a fast growing problem among our youth and military members. They are using common chemicals that are found around our homes, schools, and places of work to achieve a very dangerous high. From the information you are about to hear, you will be able to better understand and become aware of what huffing abuse is, what the symptoms are, and what the consequences of abuse are. Inhalant abuse is extremely dangerous, as parents and military leaders we must educate ourselves to learn the warning signs.
First we need to understand what classifies an inhalant and then we can improve our understanding of what to watch for. The warning signs of inhalants could include constantly running out of a specific cleaning agent, always needing to fill the gas can for the lawn equipment, or never finding the canned whipped cream that was just bought. According to Teen Health (2010), inhalants are classified into four categories; volatile solvents, aerosols, gases, and nitrites (used as sexual enhancers). Substances that fall under these categories are items such as paint thinners and felt-tip markers; spray paint and hairspray; canned whip cream (nitrous oxide) and refrigerant. According to Neuroscience for Kids (n.d), “nitrous oxide was discovered in 1776 by Sir Joseph Priestley and in 1799; Sir Humphrey Davy suggested that nitrous oxide could be used during surgery to reduce pain.” As you can see inhalants isn’t something new.
When I was young, I had a good friend that liked to do inhalants because they were readily available and they provide a quick and cheap high. The inhalant that he favored was gasoline and permanent markers; the method that he used to get “high” was huffing...
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...and effects of using inhalants to get high. Without the education they need, we are setting them up for disappointment and we are failing at our jobs of raising a better future.
In conclusion, we need to be better educated on what is happening in the world of drugs so we can have a better defense for our children and subordinates. Being in the military, constantly receiving education training on such matters has made it common knowledge, but parents and teachers must understand and be better educated on what is happening with our children and possibly even our co-workers. The Department of Defense and state authorities have recognized the problems of inhalant abuse and have enacted laws to combat this issue. So to be able to prevent or help someone that is abusing, it is imperative that we understand the warning signs and the side effects of inhalant abuse.
Duerden, M. & Price, D. (2001). Training issues in the use of inhalers. Practical Disease
Marijuana is influencing children as young as 10 to smoke, it decreases your brain cells rapidly, and can cause you to face jail time. In the article “Legalize This!” by Douglas N. Husak it states “Our alleged concern for the welfare of children seem to vanish as soon as they actually begin to use illicit drugs. When a child is caught with drugs, sympathies are put aside and mercy is seldom forthcoming” (68). Due to their surroundings, most children become what they see. If they see all the adults smoking marijuana freely around them, of course their going to think it’s okay to smoke marijuana. They believe with marijuana staying illegal, it should be impossible for them to smoke weed. Once the child smokes illegal drugs, they’re no longer seen as being innocent. They’ll be punished severely for their actions. The novel “High Price” by Dr. Carl Hart, discusses Dr. Harts personal story growing up around poverty, drugs, and turning his life around to better himself. The text states “The U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics examined the connections between drugs and crime in prisoners, analyzing data from 1997 to 2004. It found that only a third of state prisoners committed their crimes under the influence of drugs and only around the same proportion were addicted” (110). Drugs have proven time and time again to influence prisoners to do wrong especially when they’ve become
The D.A.R.E program offers great information, but it also costs a significant amount of money to run the program each year. The children receiving this anti-drug information, are at a young age and do not understand how severe drugs are and how it can impair a person’s judgment. At age 10, children may obtain a basic understanding of drugs and alcohol at the end of this program, but by the time they reach high school, they will not be able apply what they have learned from the D.A.R.E program.
Did you know tobacco and alcohol use cause over 475,000 deaths in the U.S. annually? To assist young people in avoiding these harmful behaviors, the D.A.R.E. program enhances the knowledge and awareness of the hazards regarding dangerous substances throughout a ten week program. The acronym D.A.R.E. stands for drugs, abuse, resistance, and education. D.A.R.E. ensures the safety of adolescents in various situations and instills beneficial strategies, techniques, and tips to aid young people in making responsible decisions. D.A.R.E. exposed many young people, including me, to the dangers in society today.
Many could argue that marijuana is destructive physically as well as mentally. “The National Institute on Drug Abuse says marijuana can cause heart irregularities, lung problems, and addiction” (Welch). “One joint can be just as damaging to [the lungs] as smoking at least two and a half cigarettes” (Ruff). According to Dr. Tom Wright, director of a substance abuse treatment center for adolescents in Rockford, “teens may be especially sensitive to marijuana’s effects because their brains are still being formed” (MJ Rebuttal). However, the marijuana legalization proposition would have tight restrictions and regulations by the states that would eliminate some of those issues, such as age. These facts are not consistent; the evidence is not backed from reliable sources. One institute is referred to, but more experts are needed to verify the information.
Drugs have very harmful effects on the user and the people with whom the user interacts.
Drugs cause an overall disturbance in a subjects’ physiological, psychological and emotional health. “At the individual level, drug abuse creates health hazards for the user, affecting the educational and general development of youths in particular” (“Fresh Challenge”). In youth specifically, drug abuse can be triggered by factors such as: a parent’s abusive behavior, poor social skills, family history of alcoholism or substance abuse, the divorce of parents or guardians, poverty, the death of a loved one, or even because they are being bullied at school (“Drugs, brains, and behavior”) .
...substance abuse must continue, and it is imperative that more teens are educated about different substances and their effects on physical, mental appearances. More educational classes are now needed because of the risk of losing an entire generation to the streets and world of drugs and alcohol. The slow but sure takeover of drugs and alcohol is a problem than can be obtained if proper precautions are put into place. If we, as America’s team, act now to stop to the spread of meth, alcohol, and other fast increasing substances, there will be hope for America’s future.
In this article, Kristen Weir reviews the effects marijuana has on the developing brain. As more states are now legalizing marijuana for not only medical but recreational use, many medical doctors and psychologist fear the long-term effects. Many of marijuana’s long-term effects are still unknown even though it is one of the most widely used illegal substance in the United States. Recreational use in states that marijuana is legalized in only pertains to citizens 21 or older. Even with the age restrictions, some doctors still fear the legalization of marijuana recreational will allow the drug to become more accessible to younger adults or adolescences. Susan Weiss, the director of the division of extramural research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), voiced her concerns on the topic stating, “There are a lot of open questions…. But there 's a growing literature, and it 's all pointing in the same direction: Starting young and using frequently may disrupt brain development." (Weiss). As she acknowledges the fact that there is a “growing literature” when it comes to marijuana use and its effects, she also admits the new research is all leading to the same conclusion, frequent use and starting young may disrupt normal brain development. The government and other private institutions are funding and researching these unknown effects.
...ssures to be the best they can be academically. With all these pressures of adolescence on the rise, more and more teens are falling prey to the alluring “high” that allows a temporary leave from their problems and stress. Because teens lack the maturity and knowledge to understand long term consequences, they tend not to think about the down falls that they will face as a result of the drug use. This is especially true when it come to marijuana, as it is seen by so many as the harmless drug. With the increased use of marijuana by youth over the last three decades, it is imperative that better preventative measures, and firmer penalties, be put in place to educate and raise awareness concerning the risks and dangerous side effects that marijuana use can have. Only once society has put these preventative measures in to action, will there be an effective change seen.
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.
Perhaps most substance abuse starts in the teen years when young people are susceptible to pressure from their peers. One of the main concerns when dealing with substance abuse is the long term problems with substance such as addiction, dependency and tolerance. The physical state of an individual, who is addicted to a substance, will deteriorate over a long period of time. This is due to the chemicals that are being put into an individual body. One of the most important aspects of the effect of substance abuse on society includes ill health, disease, sickness, and in many cases death. The impact of substance abuse not only affects individuals who abuse substances but it affects our economy. Our government resources are negatively impacted by individual who abuse substances. According to (Lagliaro 2004) the implication of drug users extend far beyond the user, often damaging their relationships with their family, community, and health workers, volunteer and wider
1. Inhalants are household products that are inhaled or sniffed by children to get high.
The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.