[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 53 (Monday, April 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3823-S3824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           INHALANTS AND GHB

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I speak often about the threat that 
illegal drugs pose to our young people. Today, I want to address a 
serious problem from substances common in virtually every home in the 
country. There are several trends in substance abuse among young people 
that are happening literally under our noses. I want to address two 
substances that receive little attention but cause much pain and 
suffering. Most people are not familiar with the harms of either of 
these substances. However, our familiarity with and attention to these 
lethal substances is well overdue. The subject is: inhalants and GHB.
  Inhalants are among the scariest substance being abused by teenagers 
today. Why? Because, kids have to go no further than their own kitchen 
cabinets to find them. Inhalants are everyday household products such 
as hair spray, cleaning fluids, air-fresheners, and whipped cream. More 
than 1,000 common household products have the potential to be abused. 
Kids are sniffing these easily obtainable household products to get a 
cheap high. In many cases, inhalants are used as an alternative to 
alcohol, clearly because young people don't have to break any laws to 
get them. Some see abuse of inhalants as a childish phase or youthful 
experimenting, but let me assure you ``inhalant abuse'' is deadly 
serious.
  Inhalants kill hundreds of children each year. Since July of 1996, 
over 250 children have died from intentionally ingesting toxic fumes. 
Inhalants rank fourth among the substances abused by teens ages twelve 
to seventeen. Only alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana rank higher. In 
fact, inhalant abuse has gotten so bad that it is now considered a 
gateway drug. Like other gateway drugs, about one in five teens will 
try ``sniffing'' before they graduate. What is even more astounding is 
that inhalant abuse is a problem with children as young as eight; those 
in second grade.
  Unfortunately, many do not acknowledge the severity of inhalant abuse 
until it is too late. A recent tragedy in a Philadelphia suburb 
demonstrated the lethal effects of inhalants when five sixteen-year-old 
girls were killed in a car accident. The coroner found that four of the 
five, including the driver, had ingested significant amounts of 
computer keyboard cleaner. Sadly, the girls were out shopping for 
dresses for a prom they will never attend.
  The problem is that too many of us are unaware of the dangers of 
inhalants. According to a 1997 National Household Survey on Drugs, nine 
out of ten parents don't believe their children have ever abused 
inhalants. But surveys indicate that almost a half-a-million teens 
abuse inhalants every

[[Page S3824]]

month. In fact, of those parents who do talk to their kids about drugs, 
less than half address inhalant abuse. Why aren't we talking about a 
substance that starves the brain of oxygen to the point of suffocation? 
Why aren't we warning our kids that these household products can cause 
damage to the brain and nervous system? We can't expect a teenager to 
know the severity of sniffing unless we tell them.
  We need to alert parents and kids to the dangers of inhalants. This 
is the reason Congress named the week of March 21 through March 27 as 
``National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week''. It is evident to me 
that this kind of recognition is imperative to reducing inhalant abuse. 
We cannot lock up our kids. We cannot keep many items with the 
potential for abuse out of the world our young people inhabit. What we 
can and must do is to exercise more responsibility and pay closer 
attention.
  Another substance that is consuming our youth is GHB. If you aren't 
familiar with this drug, it may be because there is little information 
available on its fatal effects. In fact, GHB was sold over the counter 
as a dietary supplement in health food stores until 1990. Today, 
advocates of GHB believe the drug is harmless and should continue to be 
sold over the counter. Unfortunately, a person doing research on the 
drug will find more information supporting the use of GHB rather than 
reporting the realistic effects of the drug. For this reason, GHB 
continues to be sold as a recreational drug and perceived as harmless. 
These perceptions have proved deadly for many.
  GHB has become popular at parties known as ``Raves''. These all-night 
parties glamorize the use of drugs and alcohol. ``Ravers'' are taking 
GHB to feel relaxed, to loose their inhibitions, and to increase their 
sexual libidos. However, the truth is that too much GHB or GHB mixed 
with other drugs can cause seizures, comas, severe vomiting, and 
respiratory arrests. In addition, GHB causes amnesia. For this reason, 
it has been frequently used as a date rape drug. Unknowing victims are 
slipped GHB and can't remember their attacker the next day.
  Since GHB is a newly abused drug, there have been few studies done to 
illustrate it's effects. However, the Drug Abuse Warning Network 
reports an increase in GHB-related emergency department episodes from 
20 in 1992 to 629 in 1996. Among these episodes, 91 percent reported 
that their reason for using GHB was for recreational purposes. Of that 
91 percent, 33 percent claimed they had no idea what GHB would do to 
them.
  Based on what we know, there are no safe levels of use. There are no 
known ways to predict side effects. And there are no ways to anticipate 
how GHB will react with other substances. Yet, young people are being 
told this drug is okay. Well, it isn't. And I don't believe parents 
want their children self-prescribing any drugs, much less one so 
dangerous. We have to let kids know that GHB is a serious drug with 
serious consequences. If we know so little about GHB, we can assume 
kids know even less. It is imperative that we warn kids of the dangers 
involved in these substances.
  Mr. President, how much time do I have left?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Less than a minute.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. I ask permission to have 5 additional minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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