ACE and the Boys and Girls Club Celebrate NIPAW

ACE and the Boys and Girls Club Celebrate NIPAW

Yesterday, the ACE team went to the Hopkins Branch Boys and Girls Club in D.C. to share tips about poison prevention.

The presentation provided facts about poison prevention and encouraged club members to always ask an adult before smelling, touching, or tasting an unknown substance. The club members were eager to show off their acquired knowledge about poison prevention by answering questions, and they enjoyed trying to distinguish “look-alikes” (poisons that look like safe items).

After the presentation, the club members tested their home safety skills with the Heroes of the Health League game (which you can play here). They also completed an activity sheet about poison prevention, which can be downloaded at this link.

Members showing that poisons can hurt you even if you smell them!

Working hard on the activity sheets

Enjoying the Heroes of the Health League game

ACE would like to thank Monique Lee at the Hopkins Branch Club for allowing us to share the message of poison prevention with the wonderful kids at the Boys and Girls Club.

ACE would also like to thank Krista Osterthaler at the National Capitol Poison Center for all of the wonderful resources and assistance she provided.

Remember, if you suspect someone has been poisoned, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222!

Guest Blog Post: Christine from the Jim and Jude Foundation

Sunday, November 8th, 2009 was a beautiful day filled with sunshine.

The two young men did not intend to hurt anyone. The driver passed out causing him to lose control of the vehicle, roll across the median and hit Jim and Jude head on.

The hospital medical staff determined the driver was on an impaired substance through his blood sample. Based on reasonable suspicion, blood was drawn from the driver of the pickup and later analyzed at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Due to evidence found at the scene, Investigators talked to the scientists at the BCA and had the drivers blood sample tested for the specific chemicals found in inhalants. When the sample was analyzed, it came back positive for inhalant and negative for alcohol and drugs.

It's called "Huffing" - inhaling a propellant. The driver was high on computer duster. Empty cans of the inhalant were found at the accident site. The driver passed away the next day due to injuries from the accident.

(Note: Inhalants are extremely fast acting and eliminated from the body’s system. That means the driver huffed and then crashed within a very short time span.)

I pray for the driver, passenger and their families. We were all affected by tremendous loss. I can't imagine the pain the passenger has experienced. I hope he lives a full and productive life.

This is not about the details of the accident. I’m certainly not an authority on huffing or inhalant abuse, however I am strongly encouraging you to educate yourself on the signs and effects of this type of substance abuse. Armed with the knowledge of inhalants, a parent can better determine the signs and talk to your children on the dangers of inhalants. Many wonder why I share the story of loss and tragedy... If we can help a child or parent in this situation it affirms my belief that something good can come out of a tragic event. My beautiful child and wonderful husband's life was not taken in vain. This understanding helps me cope with the loss of Jim and Jude.

With the help of my friends - we have created the Jim and Jude Foundation. The 501c3 charity is in honor of my wonderful husband, Jim, and our beautiful four year old son, Jude. Please take a moment to view our website http://www.jimandjudefoundation.com/.

Here are a couple of websites that I have found helpful:

General information on inhalants - http://www.inhalant.org/

Check out the latest headlines from ACE’s Inhalant News blog - http://inhalant-info.blogspot.com/

Read about Community Awareness - Minnesota Teen Challenge - http://www.mntc.com