[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5] [Senate] [Pages 6779-6780] [From the U.S. 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 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 [[Page 6780]] 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. ____________________