Vive! Teen Blog
HUFFING
Did you know that huffing--the inhalation of household products to get high--is the fourth most popular method of substance abuse for kids between the ages of 14 and 17? I thought that huffing died in the mid 90s with a handful of renegade, and probably broke, stoners, but I was wrong. Teenagers in record numbers are using this approach to get a cheap, convenient high, inhaling everything from typewriter correction fluid to spray paint to air fresheners--legal products easily found in any home. After all, it's safe, right? And convenient. And cheap. The perfect drug. There's no drug dealer to meet in a secret alleyway, no risk of getting caught with a controlled substance, and very little, if any, expense involved. Just a plastic baggy and a tube of glue and you're off to paradise.
But huffing? Seriously? If you're willing to roll the dice with brain damage, severe depression, and death, I guess a ten-minute high is a worthwhile gamble. The NDIA's (National Drug Intelligence Agency) website says that "inhalant abuse may result in serious and sometimes irreversible damage to the user's heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and brain. Brain damage may result in personality changes, diminished cognitive functioning, memory impairment, and slurred speech." Irreversible slurred speech? Sheesh... where do I sign up? These things can happen on a person's first, or fifth, or hundredth huffing experience. People take a whiff and almost instantly their heart stops; it even has a name--Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. It's a true gamble with immediate payout; like most gambling, though, the odds are with the house.
I have a friend who I recently learned has fallen into huffing. In the few months that he has allowed himself to partake of this attempt at escaping his demons, he's endangered the lives of countless strangers and himself, suffered 17 staples to the head and 4 broken bones, not to mention over $30,000 worth of automotive destruction. Lord knows that during my own journey of recovery I've battled urges to become intoxicated, but breathing paint is definitely across the line. Furthermore, it is only a matter of time before the lasting physical effects of his huffing expedition become apparent. My guess is that he'll keep doing it, though; his desire to escape is strong.
"Escape," now there's a loaded word. If I need to escape, that would imply that there's something that I'm afraid of, or something so daunting that I don't feel I can face it. So, is breathing paint this kid's problem? I'll go ahead and say no. There is any number of things that can make us feel depressed or in need of some kind of escape. These factors can range from a dirty look from the bus driver on your way to work, all the way to feeling neglected as a child, or losing a loved one. The point is, breathing paint, or what have you, is the same whether you're depressed, happy or anywhere in between. It is not going to fix your childhood, or change the bus driver's opinion of you, or bring back your dad. The only thing it's going to do is make you dizzy and stupid for a few minutes, only to let you back down right where you started...at best. So, if you're an "escape artist," like so many of us are, try changing something. Try escaping through acceptance or closure or investing the energy you spend on getting high on yourself or something that makes you feel good, genuinely. This is hard work, and scary, and requires the help of other people. Yep, it's a gamble. But in this case, the odds are with you.
Over and out.
P.S. Here are some links that tell you more about huffing.
http://www.drgreene.com/21_502.html
http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs07/708/
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