Use of inhalants is continuing to increase in Prince Albert even though nationally their use is declining.
"We are continuing to see it rise. Maybe it's because more people are seeking help now and have been using for a while," said Dianne Nielsen, community educator for Addiction Services.
There is a stigma around sniffing solvents - "it is not a cool thing to do" - so people tend to hide it more and take longer to come for help, Nielsen said.
Despite the stigma, many people still use inhalants - as much as five per cent of the population of Canada, Nielsen said.
White Buffalo Youth Inhalant Treatment Centre is trying to raise awareness of the dangers in using solvents, aerosols or nitrates to get high.
"The Air Wick thing - I've done I don't know how many presentations in this past week and Air Wick has been brought up in almost every presentation," said Anita Opoonechaw, an outreach worker for the centre.
She said that many times youth don't realize that it can be dangerous and is one of the worst things to inhale because of the risk of suffocation.
"Air Wick seems to be the all-time favourite in Prince Albert," said Nielsen.
During a presentation at a local school Opoonechaw had members of the group share their experiences.
Nearly every student knew someone who was currently using inhalants or had tried them.
One student described how he began experimenting with aerosols - as a child he saw what his mom was doing and wanted to try it.
Opoonechaw described some of the effects of using inhalants - burning of tissues in nasal passages and throat, a rash developing around the mouth and nose, breathing difficulties, heart trouble, suffocation and something called sudden sniffing death - where the heart beats irregularly, then stops. The list went on.
"What's kind of scary about this one is the brain damage is more profound," Nielsen said.
And inhalants are not a party drug. Usually the users are youth, people with troubles and leading stressful lives.
"It's not so much a drug to be with others like marijuana, it's a drug to ease the pain," Nielsen said.
There is lots of help in the city for those who are struggling. Addictions counsellors are available in nearly every school as well as the Margo Fournier and Bernice Sayese centres. These addictions counsellors work closely with treatment facilities across the province, including the White Buffalo Youth Inhalant Treatment Centre on the Sturgeon Lake First Nation.
The centre is a 10-bed facility for adolescent girls and runs a six-month program using the medicine wheel.
ahill@paherald.sk.ca
Inhalant use increasing in Prince Albert
Anita Opoonechaw takes a question during her presentation on Inhalants at a local school. Herald photo by Angela Hill
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- Published on November 21st, 2008
- Published on November 3rd, 2009
- Angela Hill
Use of inhalants is continuing to increase in Prince Albert even though nationally their use is declining.
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Comments
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- Darwin
- - November 18th, 2009
Jay it isn't as easy as store owners refusing to sell air wick to kids. If they outright refuse to sell airwick to them they could be accused of discrimination. We had a similar problem in a store I worked at up north. We wanted to refuse sale of Listerene to people coming in Sunday mornings to buy a jug, but we couldn't, because we can't prove they were going to abuse the product. The air fresheners could be put behind a counter so people would have to ask for them, this would deter some people from buying them, but not all.
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- al
- - November 18th, 2009
nearly every student knew smoeone who has tried inhalants a kid saw his mom do it .Now thats just sad what a wonderful example that mother gave her child smoething really needs to be done and no just lets throw money at this problem,but leaders really need to step in and resolve these issues.Thre problem is these children grow up looking for guidance and here you have a mother huffing right in front of her child she should be in jail its these consequences that it may come to this by takeing away the child in these disgusting enviroments that their parents are bringing up their children.
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- Gord
- - November 19th, 2009
I continue to be just shocked at the unbelievable drug issues that affect a seemingly small quiet city. Its jsut overwhelming to keep reading these stories of substance abuse in PA. Is it primarily one segment of society or is it prominant for all. If its just affecting the first nations portion of society, either way the use of inhalants creates almost immediate brain damage that may not be something that heals with time. The users just become mentally disfunctional and will eventually end up in permanent care facilities.
This is just sick. -
- jay
- - November 19th, 2009
air wick if anyone walks along the trail on the river bank will see. This week i took my son for a walk on the trail, this was the first time i seen 11 cans of air wick behind the old fire hall on the shore. i knew what they had done with them and i cant understand that some retailors will sell these products to young people knowing at that age your not purchasing this many at one time to freshen your house!! but someone has to make a buck right!!! its too bad that one kids are out doing this and the parents im sure are doing it too and are high or they have no one at home to guide them in the right direction. addition is a deally game that these kids are playing at such a young age.
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- Dennis
- - November 20th, 2009
The substance abuse problems are not unique to Prince Albert. I just think we have a media that informs the public of what is happening in our community. I know of a lot of people who now work in Fort Mac that say the drug problem in that community is out of control. Calgary has an entire section of police officers dedicated to drug enforcement that cost the taxpayer millions of dollars. Small communities across our country are experiencing similar problems. I agree with Gord when he says this problem is sick. Drug addictions and abuse is a sickness that needs to be treated.
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- phil
- - November 20th, 2009
Al I agree with your comment about leaders stepping up and these kids being taken away but this isn't going to happen anytime soon.If they won't keep a child away from it's mother after she dropped it in the toilet at Wal-Mart then a mother huffing in front of her child probably isn't going to have them taken away.The first thing we need is some leaders with a set of b#lls
