General Guidelines for Inhalant Abuse Prevention Programming A Campaign to Prevent Inhalant Abuse Bureau of Substance Abuse Services Massachusetts Department of Public Health General Guidelines for Inhalant Abuse Prevention Programming 1. Inhalant Abuse Prevention Education should be done as part of a general substance abuse ed ucation series , not as an isolated focus or to the exclusion of other types of drug education. Create norms that make inhalant use unacceptable and unpopular.
Research indicates that youth tend to overestimate the rates of use among their peers.
Most youth are not experimenting with these dangerous substances. It should avoid discussing in detail administration and paraphernalia of inhalants and should instead reinforce personal responsibility, optimal health and well-being. Discussions should emphasize that these products are designed for a specific purpose and they can be dangerous when used in unintended ways. These products are poisons, and kids who 'sniff' or 'huff' are polluting their bodies. The media has conditioned kids to understand that pollution is bad.