‘Youngsters don’t realise inhalants are dangerous’
Sedqa clinical director George Grech and social worker Liana Bonnici yesterday. Photo: Jason Borg
There is a worrying and growing trend among young people who use inhalants, such as lighter fuel, to escape personal problems, according to George Grech, who heads the Government’s rehabilitation agency Sedqa.
Amanda Caruana, president of the Malta PSD Association, agreed and said some teenagers started experimenting with inhalants even at primary school age.
“Some sniff as a way of getting high to seek refuge from social problems they have or just for sheer experimentation,” she said.
Dr Grech added: “The youngsters who inhale to experiment make up the majority.
“What worries us is the increasing numbers of adolescents who are not only after the buzz but might be self-treating themselves. They are using it as a means of escape and as a therapy.”
The use of inhalants among young people was brought to public attention following the death of 14-year-old Shanice Muscat last Friday.
The police believe she was sniffing lighter fuel when she fainted and died of cardiac arrest soon afterwards.
Toxicology tests still have to confirm whether the sudden heart problem was triggered by inhaling the butane gas in the lighter refill.
That would make her the first person in Malta whose death was caused by sniffing inhalants.
Over the years, there has been an increase in the use of inhalants among teenagers who see it as a cheap and accessible way of getting high.
Dr Grech said more prevention was needed. Education was key in getting through to adolescents and their parents to transmit the potential danger of inhalants, which many mistakenly thought were harmless.
Ms Caruana said the fact that lighter fuel was easily available to buy made teenagers feel there was no illegality and, therefore, they were not doing anything wrong by sniffing it.
PSD lessons tried to address this by educating students that all drugs were harmful.
But things are about to change and the Government is working on a new law banning the sale of inhalants to under-18s.
Dr Grech noted that such a ban had reduced the mortality rate in the UK.
However, he warned: “Buying over the internet has opened a market that will be very difficult to control.”
Dr Grech cautioned that, while inhalant use was a problem, one must keep in mind that alcohol remained the biggest threat to adolescents.
Over the years, the severity of social issues faced by young people increased and some resorted to drugs.
Social worker Liana Bonnici, who works with young people at the Youth in Focus programme offered by the Government support agency Appoġġ, said she and her colleagues had seen a rise in inhalant use.
She had come across 13-year-olds sniffing and some had a collection of social issues.
Ms Bonnici believed one of the most important tools to fight this problem was strong communication channels at home.
It was important that parents listened to their children from a young age and kept their eyes open for any sudden, drastic change in behaviour.
What are inhalants?
Inhalants are products containing chemicals that, when inhaled, cause a feeling of euphoria or disorientation. They include gasoline, lighter fluid, paint thinner – all commonly found in households.
Effects are felt quickly, within minutes, and may last up to an hour. Repeated sniffing may cause leukaemia or permanent damage to the nervous system, liver, lungs, brain, kidney, blood and bone marrow.
Inhalant use can also lead to heart failure, suffocation, brain damage and death.
For help, call Appoġġ’s support line 179.
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Francis Saliba M.D.
Sep 21st 2012, 22:09
The youth of today have the cards stacked against them when there is so much deceitful exposure on the media of the recurring lie that this or that drug of abuse is harmless, or less harmful than some other drug, that the abuse should be decriminalised and the lie that where this was done it resulted in some sort of blissful valhalla.
The truth is that Holland, a protagonist in the legal sale of marijuana is retracing its steps as fast as it can be done to the immense relief of residents and of neighbouring states.
Jay Oatmon
Sep 21st 2012, 17:36
A lot more kids will get into trouble experimenting with drugs and inhalants - just go to Paceville on Saturday late at night, there is no supervision and profits from the bars is more important in Malta than an early curfew of say 1am.
So I blame the weak government very lax entertainment venues, and poor enforcement - kids can do what they like because it's easier to allow them to do this than control them properly.
This lame duck government has no appetite to enforce a curfew - probably because too many high ups get some of the profits from Paceville.
paul camilleri
Sep 21st 2012, 20:04
what now the goverment is to blame for your inadequancy of raising your kids???
granted that night clubs should be closed at 1am or at midnight, and that police supervision be stepped up in those areas but as regard on imposing a curfew well my friend that is up to you to make your kids obey and respect your rules.
Mario Busuttil
Sep 22nd 2012, 08:09
Why always you blame the Gov.???, well said Paul ,keep your kids alive by raising them well...
Toni Borg
Sep 21st 2012, 17:01
x'jintersshom iz-zaghzagh ta llum..."EJJEW NIEHDU BUZZ" jghidulek u xejn aktar. Addio l-valur tal-hajja u self decipline. L-aqwa li nhossuna spider man. Ma nafx x'sodisfazzjon jiehdu b'daqsekk billi jpoggu hajjithom fil-periklu tal-mewt.
Michael Camileri
Sep 21st 2012, 16:12
Why do Maltese replies about children and issues always talk about discipline?? Discipline is not the answer for everything...
In this story.... Education is the key. Kids will be kids and want to try everything... they are curious creatures... If you enforce discipline 'only', it may drive some children to try it even more
Mr robert micallef
Sep 21st 2012, 15:43
i was in one of the convenience stores in paceville to buy a bottle of water when i notice that the 6 teenagers infront of meall bought a can of gas refil for their lighters. First i thought to myself that youngsters these days seem to want to save money by refilling a lighter and then i realised what the real reason was. maybe they should be banned in some places at least.
paul camilleri
Sep 21st 2012, 11:44
while what these people say about inhalents being available to anyone, might i also point out something that the writer and groups are most mentioned items is lighter fuel and lighter gases and other such stuff which are commonly used by the trades people.
Maybe an obvious sniffer product is being overlooked and is capable of inficting the above mentioned ilnesses and perhaps even death and is ready availble to young females and is purchased mainly from pharmacies, maybe by now you relise to what i am refering too. yes nail polishes and varnishes and even strong purfumes .
so i ask how can one control all these substances that are ready available to the young teenager and in some cases even younger than teenagers? a simple answer IT IS IMPOSSIBLE
one must begin teaching youngsters at an early stage from 5 or 6 years upwards the devastation that these items have on people, get graphic make them aware wherever they go at school in classrooms along corridors even in the playground, it must be drumed into them constantly even during lessons, what harm would it do for a teacher to ask a easy question or two out of the blue to his/her pupils???
also this must continue at home with the parents.. another roll for the parent is actually start noticing their children, and as soon as they notice a slight change in there attitude or response to take steps and visit groups that can help.
and as for these groups that say they want to help. you can do a lot by advertising where you can be contacted, be it on the internet yellow pages ( and i dont mean a specific page but every page because when a person needs help he/she could not be bothered if your under help or under your groups name!! but wants to open the yellow pages and find your contact details on any page that opens)
i know because i needed help for my daughter and all i got was hold on/ sorry the person you need is not here or you get told to call another number that no one bothers to answer!!!!!!!!!!! MALE YOURSELVES AVAILABLE 24/7 and if you do not know what 24/7 means i will tell you 24 hours a day 7 days a week!!!! festi included
A.f Ellul
Sep 21st 2012, 11:25
These things are all happened because no discipline, Discipline makes you strong enough to combat all the problems that one can face in his life. Without discipline every problem tries to solve it by trying to forget everything such of using drugs, alcohol, sniffing gases and fumes, Ecc. Ecc. After facing death .problem is solved.
Audrey Ledgard
Sep 21st 2012, 14:20
SOrry af ellul from what you are writing you dont have young children.May I point out that who have chidren under the age of 17 has to face all the rough especially through the teenage years.Todays kids are faced with every thing we did not have school has become harder and harder making these teenagers falling into depression at a young age,at our time you would find kids playing with bikes and balls,hise and seek whatso ever,today we parents cant even send them to the corner shop why????i tell you why accidents,rapist ect ect.so after all this teenagers and even younger start to refuge themself to alcohol etc,this sniffing thing is the new trend I GUESS.Disciple doesnt make them better or stroger,but wanting more to experiment the wrong stuff.KIDS TODAY ARE NOT KIDS BUT ROBOTS AND THATS THE MAIN ISSUE
paul camilleri
Sep 21st 2012, 19:45
@Audrey Ledgard.
well i sure wouldn't like to be your kid if you have this sort of attitude!! stop making excuses your the parent look after your kids if it is to hard for you then seek help and advice and not succumb to what you call new trend.
you seem to think that discipline is to make them better or stronger. no discipline is there so your child can be independent and be able to judge what is good and bad, discipline is something a child looks for when they are indecisive and can relate to their upbringing for an answer.
discipline is when a child who is in doubt is able to talk to their parents about the problem that he/she is facing.
why is it just recently out of all those girls that got abused and rape only one had the courage to inform her parents?? that is discipline and trust because this poor girl was able to talk to her parents about it.
Heaven knows how the other girls handled the situation without telling no one not even their parents, unless their parents were told but they was to preoccupied about the scandal their daughter brought upon them and decided it is best to remain silent.
you must be open with your children and ever moment you have discuss these things with your child.
it is the same with suicidal teens and young adults. one does not pussyfoot around the obvious question but says it to them outright do you intend in taking your own life. only then can one begin to make that person see the light
if your child starts taking alcohol then hell lady ban him/her and give them a time to get back home and please not 3 am be real after all it is your child and like everyone wants what is best for them.
A.f Ellul
Sep 21st 2012, 20:20
Sorry Audrey Ledgard,I have children and now I am grand father of three.My father teach me discipline and I teach discipline to my sons and even to my grand sons I teach.Animals discipline their kid,You ,what you do?
A.f Ellul
Sep 21st 2012, 10:10
These things are all happened because no discipline, Discipline makes you strong enough to combat all the problems that one can face in his life. Without discipline every problem tries to solve it by trying to forget everything such of using drugs, alcohol, sniffing gases and fumes, Ecc. Ecc. After facing death .problem is solved.
salvatore muscat
Sep 21st 2012, 09:55
when i personally tried to bring this problem up way back in 1994 through an organisation we used to run SAFER DANCE CULTURE MALTA,we were laughed at and ignored and our educational material from(MANCHESTER LIFELINE) we were told it was to harsh on the people aimed at.Reap what you sow my friends we will never learn.
Please choose the reason of your report below: