Inhalants are deadly. Use of inhalants has nearly doubled in the past decade nationally. For three years, Murkowski has been a leader in the Senate in promoting awareness of inhalant abuse. According to the Alaska Native Health Consortium, inhaling has a higher risk of instant death than any other abused substance.
Surveys also show that inhalants serve as a gateway drug often leading to other illicit drug abuse.
Because these products are legal, affordable and their abuse is hard to detect, awareness must be promoted among young people, parents and educators. Murkowski was author of the first Inhalant Abuse Awareness Week held in October 1998 and sponsor again of the resolution for events in March 1999 and 2000. He also has sought to increase federal drug funding to promote inhalant abuse prevention programs nationwide.