H.R. No. 420
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Inhalant and poison misuse among the youth of our
    1-2  state is increasing at an alarming rate; and
    1-3        WHEREAS, The Texas Prevention Partnership and the Texas
    1-4  Pharmacists United in Patient Care are launching an educational
    1-5  campaign during the week of March 21-27, 1993, to make the public
    1-6  more aware of the dangers of inhalant and poison misuse among our
    1-7  young people; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, Substances found in our homes such as gasoline, hair
    1-9  spray, correction fluid, spray paint, and cleaning products have
   1-10  become the "drug of choice" for a growing number of Texas youths,
   1-11  and their misuse can be disabling and fatal; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, More than 600 legal products can be inhaled to "get
   1-13  high"; in 1991, more than 1.8 million people suffered from
   1-14  ingestion or exposure to household poisons, a seven percent
   1-15  increase over 1990; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, Research indicates that in 1992, 170,000 individuals
   1-17  in the State of Texas, mostly children under the age of six,
   1-18  experienced the devastating effects of accidental poison exposure
   1-19  from common household items such as aspirin, cough and cold
   1-20  remedies, perfumes, and cleaning products; and
   1-21        WHEREAS, One out of every four Texas schoolchildren has
   1-22  sniffed or inhaled some type of common household product by the
   1-23  seventh grade, making inhalants the fourth most abused substance in
   1-24  the United States after alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, The use of inhalants often leads to the abuse of
    2-2  other illegal drugs, such as crack and marijuana; because of a lack
    2-3  of awareness by the public, inhalant misuse has been labeled the
    2-4  "silent epidemic" and it is therefore appropriate that a special
    2-5  week be designated to enlighten parents, teachers, and youth
    2-6  workers about inhalant and poison misuse; now, therefore, be it
    2-7        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
    2-8  Legislature hereby join with the Texas Prevention Partnership, the
    2-9  Texas Pharmacists United in Patient Care, and the Office of the
   2-10  Governor in designating March 21-27, 1993, as Inhalant and Poison
   2-11  Awareness Week in Texas; and, be it further
   2-12        RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared
   2-13  for the Texas Prevention Partnership and the Pharmacists United in
   2-14  Patient Care as an expression of support by the Texas House of
   2-15  Representatives.
   2-16                                                         Van de Putte
   2-17                                                            Blackwood
   2-18                                                         Van de Putte