Safety 101: Whippits

Whippits" is a slang term for nitrous oxide whipped cream chargers that are currently being used by teens, tweens and twenty somethings as an inhalant to obtain a high.  Most recently in the news because of the adverse effect that it had on Demi Moore.  I am concerned that having this much attention drawn towards this type of drug use and it's availability, will attract teens to using it that would never have used it otherwise.  The news has basicly been giving a road map to teens about where to obtain this drug and how to use it. 

You need to sit down with your teens today and talk about the dangers of using Whippits as a means of getting high.  It can cause brain damage, paralysis and sometimes even death.  It may be even more important to talk about these drugs than other types because they are so readily available to our teens than other types of drugs.  They can find them all over the internet and even in a grocery store.  One site that I visited that sells whippits has a warning against using them as an inhalant right at the top of their web site.  They claim that they can not be held responsible if someone uses this item in a way other than the intended use.  Until there are more regulations placed on the sale of whippits, it is going to be up to you to warn your children about using them and monitor their behavior if you think that they already are using them. 

Keeping up to date on the current drug fads, and the symptoms to watch for if your child is using, is going to be your best line of defense when keeping your child safe from drug usage.  Don't make the mistake of putting your head in the sand and ignoring what is staring you in the face.  If your child has a drug problem of any kind, stopping it sooner rather than later will aid in their ultimate recovery.

Safety 101: Bike or Any Wheeled Vehicle Safety

Whether your child can be found riding a bike, skateboarding, motorcycle riding, or snowboarding the best way to keep them safe is to encourage them to wear a helmet.  Sometimes (or more like often) getting them to actually wear a helmet isn't as easy as buying one for them.  One of the tricks that we used when our children were young was to get them involved in buying the helmet ensuring that it was one that they would like to wear.  We also let them decorate their helmet with stickers.  In addition, we wore and still wear helmets as well.  Don't underestimate the power of you modeling this behavior.   If they start wearing a helmet when they are younger, they are more likely to wear it when they are older.  They will have developed a habit. 

If your children are older and they have not been wearing a helmet, start encouraging them today to wear one.  Talk to them about how many of their heroes wear helmets.  Professional skateboarders, bikers and motorcycle riders would not be caught dead without their helmet.  If they don't buy into helmets after this discussion, you may need to take a more direct approach.  Show them some pictures of accidents involving people who were not wearing their helmet.  If this doesn't provide the desired effect, you may need to take their equipment away from them for a time to let them know how important wearing a helmet is.  It may be the difference between life or death.  It may be the difference between walking away from an accident with a few bumps and bruises or experiencing brain damage.