Teens and Drug Use

Lethal inhalant use surpasses marijuana, cocaine experimentation among 12-year-olds.
ABC World News (3/11, story 3, 1:35, Sawyer) reported that newly released data indicate that "a number of children in this country...are sniffing hair spray and spray paint before moving onto drugs like marijuana." One 17-year-old who started inhaling at 11 says, "It's free. It's easy. You can steal it. You can take it from your parents. It's instant and it's intense."
And, it is catching on, according to "The Crime Scene" blog, hosted by the Washington Post (3/11, Glod). The 2006-2008 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health reveal that a "rate of lifetime inhalant use among 12 year olds of 6.9 percent, compared to a rate of 1.4 percent for marijuana; a rate of 0.7 percent for use of hallucinogens; and a 0.1 rate for cocaine use." Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said, "Parents must wake up to the reality that their child might try huffing and the consequences could be devastating."
According to CQ HealthBeat (3/11, Reichard), "Timothy Condon, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said other research shows a disturbing downward trend among high schoolers who see 'great risk' in using inhalants once or twice a week."
On its website, CBS News (3/11) also quotes Condon as saying: "At the same time, the survey shows that inhalant use isn't declining as much as it has in recent years among eighth and tenth graders." He added, "If today's attitude translates into future use, we have reason to be concerned." Thus, on Sunday, the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration "is kicking off National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week," CNN (3/11, Young) reported on its website. Reuters (3/12, Allen) and the Christian Science Monitor (3/11, Guarino) also covered the story.