By: Blackwood H.R. No. 420 73R6594 CAC-D 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.