What Every Student Needs To Know

About Inhalant Abuse

OUR GOALTo provide students, staff, families, and the communities of the

Los Angeles Unified School District with comprehensive support services and resources

to promote the awareness, education, and prevention of inhalant abuse.

OUR GOALTo provide students, staff, families, and the communities of the

Los Angeles Unified School District with comprehensive support services and resources

to promote the awareness, education, and prevention of inhalant abuse.

What You Can’t See Can Hurt You

Contamination of air, water or soil by substances that are harmful to living things.

What do the following words mean?

Poison: A substance taken internally or applied externally that is harmful to health or a danger to life.

Pollution:

What You Can’t See Can Hurt You(continued…)

A substance that removes grease or oil by treating with a chemical.

What do the following words mean?

Solvent: A substance, usually liquid, that is capable of dissolving another substance.

Degreaser:

Chemicals Vapors Fumes

What do you think comes out of the can when it’s sprayed?

Kill spiders, insects and bees Deodorize a room Paint walls and furniture Stop body perspiration Clean dirt and grime in the kitchen and

bathroom Keep hair in place

What do you think these products are intended to do?

Body pollution

Brain damage

Difficulty with memory, learning, all senses, coordination, speech

Death

What can happen if the chemicals are introduced into the body?

The brain is the command center of the body.

The brain weighs about three pounds.

The brain is not fully developed until we are about 25 years old!

There are more connections in our brains than there are stars in the universe.

The brain has about 100 billion nerve cells called neurons.

Neurons send up to 50,000 messages through the brain per minute.

If we want these messages to travel well so our bodies can work well, we must take very good care of our brains.

Amazing Brain Facts

Brain Damage in an Inhalant Abuser

National Institute on Drug Abuse, courtesy of Neil Rosenberg, M.D.

Brain images show shrinkage of brain tissue in a toluene abuser, B, as compared to a non-abusing individual, A. Note the smaller size and the larger, empty (dark) space within the toluene abuser’s brain.

healthy abuser

Cardiac arrest from heart arrhythmia Sudden Sniffing Death

Asphyxiation when vapors displace oxygen in the lungs

Chocking on vomit (particularly if unconscious)

Fatal injury when individuals are under the influence (falling, drowning, motor vehicle crashes)

Death could result from…

Short-Term Effects Headache Severe mood swings Violent behavior Numbness, tingling in hands/feet Visual disturbances Fatigue Lack of coordination Impaired judgment Dizziness Loss of consciousness Limb spasms

Long-Term Effects

Weight loss

Muscle weakness

Disorientation

Inattentiveness

Lack of coordination

Depression

Memory Loss

How can we protect ourselves from body pollution?

Other ways we protect ourselves from body pollution…

What can you do at school if… You find an inhalant?

Let an adult know where it is.

Do not take the product yourself.

You see someone “huffing”? Talk to an adult. Who?

Teacher, counselor, nurse, parent volunteer, coach, principal

Someone is intoxicated? Get help from an adult immediately. For

example, school nurse.

What can you do at home if… You see someone “huffing”?

Talk to an adult. Who? Parents, older siblings, aunts/uncles,

grandparents, adult neighbor

Someone is intoxicated? Get help from an adult immediately.

Ventilate the room - open doors, windows to let air in.

If they are unconscious, call 911.

“Remember, it’s not a drug, it’s a poison and poisons kill.”