1. What Every Student Needs To Know About Inhalant Abuse OUR GOAL To 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 GOAL To 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.

3. 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:

4. 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:

5.  Chemicals  Vapors  Fumes What do you think comes out of the can when it’s sprayed?

6.  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?

7.  Body pollution  Brain damage  Difficulty with memory, learning, all senses, coordination, speech  Death What can happen if the chemicals are introduced into the body?

8.  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

9. 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

11.  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…

12. DEATH CAN RESULT the first time or anytime someone uses an inhalant. The methods of use can be just as deadly as the toxic products themselves.

13. 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

14. Long-Term Effects  Weight loss  Muscle weakness  Disorientation  Inattentiveness  Lack of coordination  Depression  Memory Loss

15.  Do not taste or smell anything unless you are certain it is safe or a trusted adult assures you it is safe.  Do not put a product on your skin unless you are certain it is safe.  Never touch or handle unknown substances or chemicals. How can we protect ourselves from body pollution?

16.  Read all labels and instructions carefully and follow instructions as written.  Use all chemicals and sprays outdoors or in a well-ventilated room. Other ways we protect ourselves from body pollution…

17. 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.

18. 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.

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