While ecstasy and OxyContin make headlines as the latest dangerous drugs, news coverage of inhalants is much more subdued. When surveyed, 40% of parents were unaware that sniffing inhalants is extremely dangerous, according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Yet in 2000, 16.7 million youths reported having used inhalants at some point, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Household Survey on Drug Abuse. That contrasts with the 6.4 million ecstasy users and 400,000 OxyContin users the survey identified.

Inhalant use has been called a silent epidemic, the breath of death, and the drug problem most resistant to prevention efforts. Huffing and sniffing are potentially deadly for both new and experienced users, yet the issue has escaped the attention of many parents, teachers, physicians, and law enforcement officers. National surveys variously show that only 3% to 10% of parents believe their children have abused inhalants. Others see...