Public invited to inhalant abuse talk

The Chesterfield County Department of Youth Planning and Development and SAFE, Chesterfield County's substance-abuse prevention coalition, will hold a program to educate parents, educators and concerned citizens about the dangers of inhalants. "Inhalants: The Invisible Threat" will be held Wed., Mar. 12, at 7 p.m., at the Krause Auditorium at CJW Medical Center, Chippenham campus, 7101 Jahnke Rd. The program will feature Sgt. Jeff Williams from Cleveland, who lost his 14-year-old son, Kyle, to inhalant abuse. As a narcotics officer, drug-prevention educator and owner of a retired drug dog, Williams and his wife, a nurse, talked with their children often about drugs, but didn't know about inhalants until they lost their son. Williams is committed to helping professionals and parents learn about protecting children from the dangers of inhalant abuse.

According to a November 2005 survey, one in five eighth-grade students in Chesterfield County has used an inhalant, twice the national average. County eight-graders are more likely to have tried an inhalant than a cigarette.

This program is for adults only. A Spanish interpreter will be provided. For more information, visit www.chesterfieldsafe.org or call 796-7100.