“Don’t put that in your mouth! That’s not safe!”

Does that sound familiar? It was something you probably heard often as a small child. Now, being a parent, it is something you’ve likely said many times to your children.

Many would think of this as a basic safety message for young children. But did you realize you are providing that child with one of their first substance-abuse prevention messages?

Parents have a powerful role when it comes to substance-abuse prevention, and it is a role that starts early in the form of poison prevention. These early messages are very important and, along with other steps, can help prevent a special type of substance abuse called inhalant abuse, or “huffing.”

There are many easily accessible and toxic items that can be found in homes, schools and at work that can be inhaled.

Inhalant abuse can severely damage many parts of the body, including the nervous system, lungs, liver, kidneys and brain. The chemicals in these products will take the place of oxygen in the blood and can cause asphyxiation and destroy brain cells.

This damage can be life-altering, given that this is a very crucial time for brain development. It is indeed a behavior with very high risk, as even trying just once can result in death.

The reality is that too many of our youths are taking this very risk, putting their health and life in serious jeopardy. According to the 2009 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, 17 percent of high school students in Androscoggin County reported that they have used inhalants in their lifetime. That is above the Maine average of 16 percent for high school students.

It is also an issue among middle school students as 14 percent of middle school youths in Androscoggin County report using inhalants in their lifetime. In Lewiston-Auburn alone, the data show that more than 450 kids have used inhalants.

It is an issue that needs constant attention from the community and particularly from parents.

“The use of inhalants needs to be on parents’ radar. Parents and other youth caregivers who have an understanding of the potential dangers and signs are key in preventing inhalant abuse,” said Guy Cousins, director of the Maine Office of Substance Abuse. “There are many safer alternative products parents can have in their homes, as well as key messages they can pass on to their children. Parents can often spot early signs of possible use and intervene.”

A parent who thinks their child may be using inhalants should look out for certain changes in behavior such as changes in attitudes and interests, decline in school performance, disorientated/dazed appearance, slurred speech, and chemical odors on their child’s clothes, breath or backpack.

Parents play a powerful role in inhalant-abuse prevention that no one else can play. Some easy prevention steps parents can take include modeling safe use of household products, teaching children about poison safety, buying safe (non-aerosol) products, and storing household products in a secure location. These simple steps can go a long way to prevent inhalant abuse.

The Lewiston-Auburn Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative is working as an ally for parents in the Lewiston-Auburn community to prevent and reduce inhalant abuse and youth substance abuse.

The initiative works with several partners in the community toward that end, including Healthy Androscoggin, the Lewiston and Auburn police departments and Community Concepts Inc.

The initiative provides substance-abuse counselors in Lewiston and Auburn public schools, funds and coordinates prescription drug take-back programs, works to increase youth access to family-based treatment programs and provides a free parent-teen prevention workshop called Families in Action.

Scott M. Gagnon, MPP, is substance abuse prevention coordinator of Lewiston-Auburn Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative with Healthy Androscoggin.