tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609697803613641438.post8803114723232147760..comments2024-02-01T04:43:26.273-06:00Comments on NEWS ANCHOR MOM: child health, child safety, toxic toys, autism, etc. for busy moms: Kids huffing household productsJen Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15528551519602313049noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609697803613641438.post-14474100281839417132008-03-25T13:50:00.000-05:002008-03-25T13:50:00.000-05:00Thanks for taking the time to warn about inhalant ...Thanks for taking the time to warn about inhalant abuse! Our organization works to educate parents about the dangers of inhalants and how to recognize if their children are using them. <BR/><BR/>The link below goes to a section of our website titled "Tips for Talking", and can be used as an age-appropriate guide on how to discuss inhalant abuse with your children. <BR/><BR/>Link: http://www.inhalant.org/parents/tips.phpAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17016235678609174052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609697803613641438.post-37217469613088457162008-03-19T09:11:00.000-05:002008-03-19T09:11:00.000-05:00I'm not surprised, when I was in high school (late...I'm not surprised, when I was in high school (late 80's) huffing was pretty popular and this was at firmly middle class Washington Co. High School. <BR/>I think availability was the big issue. Inhalants are easy to get, and you won't get busted for having them in your possession.<BR/>Thanks for posting this. It's an issue I haven't specifically mentioned to my kids in a while.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05975916794760117696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609697803613641438.post-58879583789815841682008-03-18T16:02:00.000-05:002008-03-18T16:02:00.000-05:00I agree it's shocking. I was shocked when my stude...I agree it's shocking. I was shocked when my students were so willing to share this information with me. These are students who have only known me for a year and they opened up about this. When I asked if their parents knew, they laughed at me. In terms of talking to our kids, there's no such thing as too young. The students that share with me range in age from 11 to 18...and most of them started when they were even younger.<BR/><BR/>In my house, we role play everything. Children need practice saying "no" and we play the "what if" game all the time. In my opinion, DARE doesn't work...all the students who share with me have been through the DARE program several times. They even laugh because some of them wrote essays that they presented during their DARE graduation, while they were high.<BR/><BR/>The answer is not locking up every possible intoxicant, but rather, teach your children how to say no...to strangers, to best friends, to relatives. And we also role play THEM being the parent, "What would you say if I was the kid and you were the parent".<BR/><BR/>And, finally, I don't teach my kids to call me AFTER they've experimented (because I know they will) but rather, call me when your "Spide-y senses" start tingling and you start to feel uncomfortable about what's going on.Rixblixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07309657100511359394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609697803613641438.post-41639053955064492932008-03-18T15:08:00.000-05:002008-03-18T15:08:00.000-05:00Rixblix, Wow! That is shocking to me as a parent. ...Rixblix, <BR/>Wow! That is shocking to me as a parent. I really appreciate you leaving the comment! I think it could open the eyes of a lot of other parents too!Jen Christensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15528551519602313049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609697803613641438.post-3330452323869565312008-03-18T12:36:00.000-05:002008-03-18T12:36:00.000-05:00This is the tip of the iceberg in terms of what ki...This is the tip of the iceberg in terms of what kids are getting high off of. Students in my program (an alternative high school)have shared with me that they've huffed canned air purchased at the grocery store (you know, the stuff you clean your keyboard with?) and freon they've tapped from their home's air conditioning unit. They've shared that they've huffed aerosol colognes, (one brand rhymes with "wax) at school.<BR/><BR/>They've also shared their experiences "tripping" (hallucinating) on dramamine, Coricidin, and Robotussin. Typically they purchase these products and take the entire package or bottle all at one time. <BR/><BR/>These students come from average families with parents who work in both white and blue collar settings. They live in upscale homes in nice neighborhoods. These students are not always the typical "stoner" students. In fact, the students in my program who have experience with these types of intoxicants prefer them to marijuana because they are easier to access and because they say their parents are on the "look out" for 'pot' and alcohol.<BR/><BR/>Any parent who thinks their child would never do such a thing is the parent whose child it at risk. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for this piece, Jen, it's amazing all the ways young people are trying to "numb out".Rixblixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07309657100511359394noreply@blogger.com