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Fast Fact
"Huffing," or inhaling volatile substances, is becoming increasingly popular among children, especially among 12- to 14-year-olds (Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 1998;152(8):781--786).
Alarmingly, about 20% of eighth-graders report having done it (International Journal of Addiction, 1993;28:1613--1621).
Besides sudden cardiac arrest (the most common cause of death from inhalants), huffing can kill quickly in a number of other ways. Motor vehicle accidents, falls, and other traumatic injuries are common and horrible. Others die from suffocation, burns, suicide (from the depression that can follow the high), and from choking--on their own vomit.
Huffing can kill the very first time children experiment with it. About 22% of those who die from huffing do so the first time they try it (Human Toxicology, 1989;8:261--269).
When huffing doesn't kill quickly, it damages the body each time--especially the brain. Huffing can cause memory loss, impaired concentration, hearing loss, loss of coordination, and permanent brain damage. Chronic use can cause permanent heart, lung, liver, and kidney damage as well.
Solvents (found in glues, paints, and polishes), fuels (such as butane), nitrites (found in deodorizers), and almost any kind of aerosol spray can be responsible.
Most huffing takes place with friends (although kids who sniff correction fluid in class when their teachers turn away are not uncommon). Be observant of your child and his or her friends.
Inhalants gradually leave the body for 2 weeks following huffing--mostly through exhaling. The characteristic odor is the biggest clue. Be on the lookout for breath or clothing that smells like chemicals. Look for clothing stains. Watch for spots or sores around the mouth.
Nausea, lack of appetite, weight loss, nervousness, restlessness, and outbursts of anger can all be signs of inhalant abuse. A drunk, dazed, or glassy-eyed appearance might mean your child is abusing inhalants right now.
If you suspect or discover that you child is huffing, get professional help. Treating inhalant abuse is very difficult and requires expert intervention. Withdrawal symptoms may last for weeks. The relapse rate without a long-term (2-year) program is very high.
Preventing huffing is far better than trying to treat an inhalant addiction. Talking with your child about it is more powerful than anything else (NIDA Research Monograph, 1988;85:8--29).
Start talking with your child about it now. Although huffing peaks between the ages of 12 and 15 years, it often starts "innocently" in children only 6 to 8 years old (Pediatrics, 1996;97:3).
Literally thousands of easily available substances can be inhaled, so you can't keep your child away from them. You can, however, educate and inspire.
For more information on huffing, I recommend visiting www.inhalant.org.
If I were to ask you to switch everything in your diet that contains soy to organic, you would have to switch countless items. Soy turns up as an ingredient in a surprising array of products. Almost the entire soy crop in the U.S. is crushed to make soybean oil and meal. Only a tiny proportion is consumed as whole soybean products. Soybean oil is huge, accounting for about two thirds of all vegetable oils or animal fats consumed in the US57. When you think trans fats, think partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Soy protein from soybean meal is even more huge, but 98% of it goes to livestock feed, making it hard to track.
More than 72 million acres are planted in soy. Soybean pesticide use in the US ranks second only to corn58. In recent years soy has been the domestic crop found most contaminated with organophosphate pesticides59. Beyond this, soy leads the way in genetic modification, with 87% of the soy planted in the U.S. genetically modified (62 million acres) 60. Because labeling regulations do not require companies to specify whether or not their products contain genetically modified ingredients, it can be difficult to know for sure what you are getting - particularly since soy is an ingredient in so many processed foods. Choosing organic is one way to be sure the foods you eat are GMO-free.
Less than 0.17% of our massive soy crop is organic. We need to make a dent. Let's start by switching the soy we can see. Organic soy products made from organic whole soy beans (soy milk, soy yogurt, veggie burgers) can be a healthy part of the diet, and of our agricultural system.
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