But Gasoline still a threat
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Rae/Edzo (Dec 18/00) - Sniffing was once popular in the NWT and images of children carrying gas-filled garbage bags worries addictions counsellors among the Dogrib communities.
"It is still a percolating issue under the surface and it has to be watched," warned Jim Martin, CEO of the Rae-Edzo community services board.
The images of the Innu children of Labrador were caught on camera in recent months and zapped into living rooms across the country.
"Gas sniffing was a major issue about 10 years ago in Rae-Edzo," Martin said.
A young boy wandered off with a bag or bottle of gasoline and huffed the fumes on a cold winter night in the bush. He lost his way home, became disoriented from the effects and laid down and died.
There are other stories as well. A boy caught himself on fire while sniffing and smoking a cigarette.
"It appears perhaps these incidents may have nipped it in the bud at that time," Martin said. "It led to such real tragedy so quickly, that may have had a scare factor with other children."
Children as young as eight can be burdened with the same debilitating effects of alcoholism after only a short time of inhaling gasoline fumes.
"The greatest danger is suffocation, asphyxiation," said Larry Falls, executive director of the Nats'ejee k'eh Alcohol and Treatment Centre in Hay River.
"The more they do it the better chance they have of severe brain damage."
Although the horror stories make people cringe, addictions specialists say the scariest aspect is that it is a fad that may return.
"Years ago it was like a fad," Falls said. "The kids wouldn't talk to anybody and more or less formed their own social group of sniffers."
Some people contacted by News North were even concerned the play the issue is getting in the media may spark the desire again.
"There is a possibility of it happening again," Falls said. "But one also must keep in mind other drugs are more readily available.
