A Brief Inhalant Primer from the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC)
Inhalant abuse is generally not the first thing that crops up when people talk or write about major substance abuse challenges; especially among adults. Meth, Crack, and Heroin ring out, but who would guess more adults "huff" than get involved in these substances. The problems associated with use of Meth, Crack, Heroin, Oxycontin, LSD and Sedatives are important and must be addressed, however you rarely hear the term inhalant abuse uttered with the same frequency or in the same context of alarm as these substances. Here are a few basic inhalant facts that you should know:

• ANY TIME AN INHALANT IS USED OR EXPERIMENTED WITH, IT COULD BE A FATAL EPISODE;
• Inhalants are usually the first substance a young person experiments with;
• Among 12 or 13 year olds, more kids "huff" than do any other illicit substance;
• For all people 12 and older, more people abuse inhalants than use Meth, Cocaine, Heroin, Oxycontin, LSD or Sedatives;
• More people over the age of 18 are in treatment for inhalant dependence than are individuals younger than 18; and

At least 280 inhalant related deaths were reported to the NIPC last year. While education and awareness are the keys to early prevention, there must also be ongoing efforts to help people of all ages caught up in the stranglehold of inhalant abuse. Other highly significant data from the SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) include:

• The mean age gap for first time inhalant use of between males and females grew to be a chasm. 2009 NSDUH data indicated that first time male inhalant use mean age soared to 18.1 years while female initial use plunged to 15.5 years. This was the oldest first time male use rate since 1997 and the second youngest female use initiation since the same year. This continues the 10-year trend of females initiating use prior to males (as in past years, mean age of first use of inhalants continues to be younger than any other illicit substance);
• In 2009 lifetime, past year and past month inhalant use was greater for teen girls than for boys;
• Among 12 or 13 year old youngsters, inhalants are the most used illicit substance (over 8 percent of youth using drugs use inhalants and almost three times the use rate of marijuana, lifetime use);
• Nitrous oxide / whippet use increased significantly among the 26 and older age group, it must be added, while reviewing products that are misused to get "high," the products most abuse by teens are categorized as:
  • glue, shoe polish or Toluene (784,000);
  • gasoline or lighter fluid (773,000);
  • spray paints (713,000); and
  • other aerosol sprays (501,000).

For further information go to: http://www.SAMHSA.gov or http://www.inhalants.org
SOURCE: National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC)

HHS’ Releases “Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicators”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released “Healthy People 2020—Leading Health Indicators on October 31. HHS presented the leading health indicators for Healthy People 2020 at the 139th annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.

Section: Healthy People 2020 provides a comprehensive set of 10-year, national goals and objectives for improving the health of all Americans. Healthy People 2020 contains 42 topic areas with nearly 600 objectives (with others still evolving), which encompass 1,200 measures. A smaller set of Healthy People 2020 objectives, called Leading Health Indicators, has been selected to communicate high-priority health issues and actions that can be taken to address them.

Great strides have been made over the past decade: life expectancy at birth increased; rates of death from coronary heart disease and stroke decreased. Nonetheless, public health challenges remain, and significant health disparities persist.

The Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicators place renewed emphasis on overcoming these challenges as we track progress over the course of the decade. The indicators will be used to assess the health of the Nation, facilitate collaboration across sectors, and motivate action at the national, State, and community levels to improve the health of the U.S. population.

The Leading Health Indicators are composed of 26 indicators organized under 12 topics, and will be tracked, measured, and reported on regularly throughout the decade.. The Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicators are: Access to Health Services, Clinical Preventive Services, Environmental Quality, Injury and Violence, Maternal, Infant, and Child Health, Mental Health, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, Oral Health, Reproductive and Sexual Health, Social Determinants, Substance Abuse, and Tobacco. For links to all of these health indicators, please visit: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/LHI/Default.aspx

For more information, please visit: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/LHI/development.aspx
Note: Preparedness measures were not selected as Leading Health Indicators because of the newness of the topic to Healthy People 2020 and the lack of historical data. However, because of their importance to the health and safety of the Nation, HHS will continue to closely monitor the Healthy People 2020 Preparedness measures and, if necessary, elevate them to an LHI.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Announces the Online Safety Education Kit for Middle Schools
Deliver comprehensive online safety education for middle school students with this easy-to-use Kit, brought to you by Sprint and the child safety experts at NetSmartz Workshop. As a program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, NetSmartz focuses on educating children about online and personal safety.
Who should use this Kit? -- Professionals interested in keeping children safer online: Middle school teachers; Youth program coordinators; Counselors; Law-enforcement officers; Social service providers; and Religious leaders. The Kit is available in English & Spanish. Try the Elementary School Kit for grades K-5 at: http://www.netsmartz.org/kit
NetSmartz Workshop is an interactive, educational program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) that provides age-appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on- and offline. The program is designed for children ages 5-17, parents and guardians, educators, and law enforcement. With resources such as videos, games, activity cards, and presentations, NetSmartz entertains while it educates. For more information, please visit: http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents

Policy Clarification For Students With Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) has issued an important policy clarification document that will have positive impacts on physical education programming for students with disabilities. “Creating Equal Opportunities for Children and Youth to Participate in Physical Education and Extracurricular Athletics”.

• CDC Features – Safe Youth, Safe Schools
  A comprehensive index source for all articles written on the Centers for Disease Control website for 2011 and 2010. The topics that are featured are Data & Statistics; Diseases & Conditions; Emergency Preparedness & Response; Environmental Health; Healthy Living; Injury, Violence & Safety; Life Stages & Populations; Travelers' Health; Workplace Safety & Health and a Features Library for 2010, 2011 and 2012 thus far.
  
• Learn more about the Safe Routes to School program, at safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/.
  Find free resources at the National Center for Safe Routes to School’s Web site at saferoutesinfo.org/.
  Visit the Back to School Web page, at usa.gov/Topics/Back_to_School.shtml.
• Montana Safe Routes to School Newsletter Archive
• Lions Quest believes the most effective way to implement positive youth development programs and bring about lasting improvements in school climate is to equip educators with current research, materials and strategies for addressing critical issues facing youth. Their programs include teacher training, prevention, character education and life skills, social and emotion learning and service-learning.
• School Safety Policies for Off-Campus, Overnight School-Sponsored Trips
  Planning for school emergencies involves not only being prepared in case an emergency event occurs, but also involves working toward preventing emergencies altogether, and mitigating the possible harm or danger they might incur.  School efforts should focus on vulnerabilities in and around school campuses and include planning for emergencies involving students traveling off campus for school related events.  The website provides detailed information on school safety policies for off-campus and overnight school-sponsored trips, including a list of key considerations for off-campus travel;  policies on curfews, room checks and chaperone qualifications that a school should have in place;  and international perspectives on school trips.   Several examples of schools or districts around the country that have such policies in place are provided for further research or information.
• Learn about the Too Smart To Start initiative and how it can help prevent underage drinking where you live.
• Every day in our schools and communities, children are teased, threatened, or tormented by bullies. About Bullying , part of the 15+ Make Time to Listen… Take Time to Talk initiative, provides parents and caregivers with information about bullying and methods for communicating with children about the climate of fear created by bullying
• Parents; The Anti Drug !
• This series of brochures provides facts and dispels myths about substance use. Information is provided on long-term and short-term effects, physical and psychological risks, and legal implications. Tips for Teens: Club Drugs
• Safe Kids and the MetLife Foundation have partnered to bring you a series of safety videos highlighting how you can take precautions in the home to help prevent injuries to children with physical, developmental or cognitive disabilities. The series profiles three families, all of whom have a child with a different special need.