Parents urged to talk to kids about dangers of inhaling common household items
SEATTLE -- It’s national poison awareness week and experts are urging parents to talk to kids about inhalant abuse.
Things like keyboard dusters and hair spray are being abused.
Teenagers are sniffing household products to get a rapid high. Inhalant.org is also warning parents about the dangers of helium.
Many people have inhaled helium from a balloon to get a good laugh.
But one Oregon mom says her daughter, Ashley Earp, died after inhaling helium from a tank.
Many parents were unaware of the danger.
“It’s not about keeping them away from it, but it’s about keeping them educated. There is always going to be balloons, there is always going to be birthday parties to go to,” parent Sabrina Edwards said.
Experts say talking to your kids can lower the chance of them huffing by 50%.
“It may be something they have never thought of before, but it’s there and a friend suggests it -- you never know what they will choose in the moment,” parent Cori Young said.
Having the discussion early is important. According to Inhalant.org, more than 2.6 million kids as young as 12 abuse inhalants every year.
The organization says the exact number of deaths caused by inhalants is unknown because many times it's attributed to other causes.