Posted on February 10, 2009

Parents once worried about their children being offered hard drugs at school and tried to educate them against the dangers of giving in to peer pressure. What many were unaware of were the dangers that existed within their own homes and how kids were using everyday household products to get high.

The risk of inhalants is much more well-known today, but is often still downplayed by those who believe their children are immune. Even worse, drug education programs – also known as drug awareness programs – did more than just educate kids to the dangers of drugs. At times, these programs actually showed kids just how easily they could get high.

A My High Plains piece focused on the choices of Kelli Crockett, who revealed that a middle school drug awareness program opened up the door to new highs for her. By 13, she was already drinking and smoking pot and in looking for a different high, found it in her cleaning cabinet at home.

According to government estimates, 17 percent of adolescents have tried inhalants at least once. As Ashley Kilpatrick, certified addiction counselor, points out, it is accessible. Finding products to deliver the high is extremely easy, yet most teens don’t understand the dangers inherent in these products.

Inhalants pose an extreme risk to users as they cut off oxygen to the brain. Even huffing just once can kill, although instances have been rare. And the signs are hard to notice, especially as many of them mirror normal teenage mood swings. For Crockett, it was an overdose that nearly took her life that finally got the attention of her parents. To best prevent such a scare, parents need to be real and they need to be watching.