Teen Age Huffing Has Not Gone Away
A 21-year-old man is unconscious when he is brought to the emergency department. His friends report that he has been “huffing” (placing a rag soaked in a substance over his nose and mouth and then inhaling) for several months…At 24 hours after presentation, the patient becomes completely coherent and demands to be released from the hospital. He is released against medical advice.
Huffing is Often Fatal
Three weeks later, the young man again presents to the emergency department, this time in full cardiac arrest. After extensive resuscitative efforts, the patient dies. Family and friends confirm that he had been inhaling gun cleaner daily.”
Another arena for teen crisis intervention that can often be overlooked is “huffing”. Who would imagine a teenager becoming addicted to inhalants? Yet, in some parts of the country the statistics on huffing are unreal.
An Alaskan blogger reports the following
“Huffing has become deeply interwoven in the culture of rural Alaska. Studies in the lower 48 usually indicate that something like 20% of eighth graders have tried inhalants at least once. Anecdotal reports from village teenagers and from health aides are that nearly 100% of the kids in their villages have tried it. It is a staggering thought. We recently had a death in one of the villages from huffing. A 10-year-old boy wrapped his lips around the opening in a five-gallon gas can and took a few deep fast breaths. Less than an hour later, he was dead.”
Signs Your Teen is Huffing
Here are some of the signs to be aware of:
- Chemical smell on child or child’s clothing
- Correction fluid on nose, fingers, or clothing
- Markers in pockets
- Red eyes, nonsensical talk, irritability
- ‘Drunk’ appearance, slurred speech
- Unusual breath odor
- Decreased appetite
- Frequent headaches
- Sores around mouth
- Lack of concentration
- Low grades, school absences
Teen Crisis Intervention