You dont't remember much about that afternoon.

The knock at the door,the police officer's face. The screams.

You don't remember if the day was sunny or overcast and you

barely remember your child barreling down the stairs, off to

ride his bike and play, with his friends. You don't remember if

you said you loved him, but you've got to believe you did.

Because it was the last time you saw your child alive.

{*WHEN A DEATH is unexpected, it is proper to postpone the burial to allow ample time for family members to gather.}

You rushed to the hospital, but when the doctor

met you outside the emergency room, you knew it was

too late. It was there, 30 feet from your child's body, you

first hard the term "sniffing." It's a slang for inhaling

ordinary household products to get high, you were told.

Kid's are sniffing anything they can get thier hands on,

you were told. Spray paint, correction fluid, gasoline.

It's called sniffing, you were told again. It's what killed

your child.

{*CHILDREN ARE OFTEN buried in an outfit most befitting their personality, such as a baseball uniform, etc.}

When you finally entered his room, it was well past

midnight. Inhalants? Your child was getting high? What

could have you missed. You looked around slowly. The

cassette player he inherited from his brother. The baseball

glove, on the floor as usual. Your eyes teared up before you

could see anything else. But

what were you looking for? The

paraphernalia for sniffing isn't

the same as for other drugs.

Common paraphernalia includes

ordinary items like socks, soda

cans, even empty lunch bags.

You couldn't have noticed things

like that. Could you? You closed

the door behind you. It will be

two years before you go in again.

Your child's school held a memorial. You went,

reluctantly. His classmates hugged you in an endless

procession. Some you recognized. Most you didn't. They

spoke of starting a scholarship in your child's name. Of

putting a plague above his locker. You tried to listen, but

your mind kept wandering. Was the person who supplied

the inhalants to your child present? No one came forth,

but the truth is, they could've been found at home. The

average home has over 100 household products that can

be used as inhalants. They can damage the heart, liver,

kidneys, even the brain. Your child's memorial ended

without any mention of the casue of death. It seemed to

no longer need mentioning.

{*IF REQUESTED, arrangements can be made for the funeral procession to pass by the child's playground or school.}

For four days, the phone never stopped ringing.

The relatives called. The clergy called. One of the kids who

was with your child when he died called. Said he was real

sorry. Said it was the first time he saw your child sniff

anything. Sniffing really can kill the first time, but you

didn't believe him. You didn't know what to believe. All

you knew was that you'd heard enough about what happened

that day. And that your child's funeral was in an hour.

{*TROPHIES, PICTURES, teddy bears, and other personal items may be included in the casket at the end of the service.}

Could this be your child?

Most parents would perfer to

not even think about it. But

you should. Because one in five

eight graders has sniffed a

household product to get high.

Please call 800-788-2800 to

find out more about inhalant

abuse. Between knowledge and

communication, this story will

never be your own.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LEARN ABOUT FUNERALS, PLEASE LEARN ABOUT SNIFFING

Office of National Drug Control Policy