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Dear Ridgewood
Mom,
65% of today's teens are
regular Internet users. Until
recently, I was unaware of a suitable
web site geared specifically to
provide young people with access
to important, accurate health-related
information in language they can
both understand and trust. Recently,
I became aware of new web-site,
www.zaphealth.com
which offers articles and
interactive features specifically
geared to young people on more
than 100 health topics. Among
them are illicit drugs, alcohol,
sports, sex, weight problems,
eating disorders, mental health
and skin problems. In addition,
the site includes monitored bulletin
boards, chat rooms and Q&A
advice.
As for your daughters
question, here's a quote from
the zaphealth web-site: "To
a lot of people, nitrous oxide
seems pretty harmless. Also known
as 'whippets' or 'laughing gas,'
it doesn't sound very dangerous,
but it increasingly popular on
college campuses and at concerts
and raves. You may wonder how
dangerous nitrous oxide can be
when it comes in whipped cream
canisters and when dentists and
doctors use it as analgesia.....The
truth is that it can be deadly"
Just to summarize some info as
to why: Nitrous oxide (N2O) is
a colorless, sweet-smelling gas.
A widely available inhalant drug,
it is most common on college campuses
and among older teens. It is found
in whippets, which are small,
silver-colored cartridges manufactured
for whipped cream dispensers.
It is also found in commercial
cans of whipped cream. It can
be inhaled directly from a punctured
whippet, or by using a "cracker"
to dispense the gas into a balloon.
Short term effects
can include:· Headaches.·
Nausea, vomiting.· Dizziness.·
Irregular heart beat.·
Numbness and tingling of hands
& feet.· Giddiness,
laughter.· Slurred speech.·
Loss of balance.· No sensation
of pain.· Dreamy, floating
sensation.· Difficulty
breathing.
The "high"
that people get from breathing
nitrous lasts only a few seconds,
so they often take hit after hit
to prolong the feeling. This can
be especially dangerous if they
don't breathe fresh air in between,
because, when someone is breathing
in nitrous oxide, they aren't
breathing the oxygen they need
to survive.
Risks of using
nitrous even once:· Death
by anoxia (not enough oxygen to
the brain): Inhaling pure nitrous
oxide gas can slow down brain
function and deprive the lungs
of oxygen to the point that the
user passes out and even stops
breathing for a few seconds. If
they pass out and stop inhaling
nitrous oxide, they can probably
recover. But someone who passes
out and keeps breathing high levels
of nitrous oxide (from a plastic
bag or balloon or in an enclosed
space without air) will die. This
can happen very quickly. Even
a few seconds of exposure to high
concentrations of the gas, or
inhaling it repeatedly, can easily
kill you. . Whippets and driving
or sitting in a car with windows
closed (or in any other confined
space) is a dangerous combination.
Risks of repeated
use of nitrous oxide: Permanent
nerve damage and loss of balance.
Damage to kidneys and liver, and
miscarriage. Brain and blood complications.
Cardiac arrhythmia
You can get more
info specifically about addictive
drugs at The National Clearinghouse
of Alcohol and Drug Information
(1-800-662-HELP) but I recommend
www.zaphealth.com
as a good source for your daughter
to finding answers to more wide
ranging teenage questions.
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