Dear Ann Landers,
am writing to alert your readers to a relatively unknown but deadly problem in drug abuse among teens--inhalants. Inhalants include hundreds of common household products like paint, aerosols, cleaning solvents and gasoline. Increasing numbers of adolescents and young teens are using these products for a cheap, quick high. A recent study by the University of Michigan shows that one in every five or six students in grades 8 through 12 has tried in-halants. Inhalants are particularly frightening because they produce se-rious health problems in a short period of time. Inhalants are poisons. They work directly on the heart, the nervous system and other vital or-gans. At best, an inhalant user has impaired coordination and faulty judgment. At worst, inhalants can kill by robbing the body of oxygen. Parents should be alert to obvious signs like paint stains (especially gold or silver) on a child's hands or face, chemical odors on breath, clothing or rags, or the rapid disappearance of household aerosol or cleaning products. If inhalant use is suspected, parents should contact their local substance abuse or mental health program for help. Inhalants are legal and easy to obtain. Parents should talk to their children about this before it becomes a problem. In spite of all we hear about outside influences, parents are still the biggest influence in the lives of young teens. Sincerely, -Bob Kustra, lieutenant governor of Illinois

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