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Why we do
what we do
Lethal chemicals,
such as refrigerant are readily
available and easily
accessible. As a result,
"huffing", which refers to the
inhalation of refrigerant and other dangerous
chemicals to achieve feelings of
euphoria has been on the rise,
predominantly among pre-teens
and teenagers. Refrigerant and
other inhalants are highly addictive and
are
considered a gateway drug because users
often progress from inhalants to illegal
drug and alcohol abuse.
We
strongly support educating the public
about the dangers posed by certain chemicals,
such as
refrigerant. However, because children are
exposed to refrigerant just about
everywhere, everyday, we feel that a more effective
and permanent solution to keep this poison out of reach
of children is in order.
Huffing chemicals such as refrigerant
can result in death on the first use.
This is a risk we cannot afford to take
with our youth.
One of the goals of UPROAR is to propose
solutions to lawmakers and governing
bodies to address this problem.
Code Adoption
We are proud to report that
the provision for locking refrigerant caps on new construction has been codified
in the 2009 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and the 2009 International
Residential Code (IRC). The inclusion of this
provision in the IMC and IRC is a major accomplishment in the fight to prevent needless
injuries and deaths resulting from exposure to refrigerant. However, to be
effective, it is crucial and urgent that the 2009 IMC
and 2009 IRC are adopted by all states on all levels. We strongly
encourage you to join in the fight against unauthorized access to refrigerant by urging your state and local building officials to adopt the 2009
IMC and 2009 IRC. For a list of building officials by state, please visit the
ICC
Chapter Website Links and the
Building Code
Reference Library made available by the International Code Council and Reed
Construction Data, respectively.
We count on your support and
thank you in advance for making a difference by encouraging and promoting public
safety.
National Inhalant
Prevention Awareness Week
We would like to thank our
very own Dana Prothro for so bravely sharing the story of her daughter at the
National Inhalant Prevention Awareness Conference in Washington, DC earlier this
month. The conference, sponsored by the
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, kicked off the Annual National
Inhalant Prevention Awareness Week (NIPAW). NIPAW, is a community level
program designed to increase understanding of the risks associated with
inhalants, such as refrigerant.
Ms. Prothro joined UPROAR
after losing her 19 year-old daughter, Erica, to refrigerant inhalation. She
has been a stout supporter of the cause and has dedicated her time and
effort to lobbying for locking refrigerant caps. We are proud to have her
in our company. At the conference, Ms. Prothro told the press, “I am here
on behalf of my 19 year- old daughter Erica Rain and all those who have lost a
life from the nature of this dangerous toxic chemical- refrigerant. Erica made a
mistake, a mistake that took her life within minutes. I want to thank the ICC
for adopting our code to secure refrigerant from such easy access by those who
are untrained and have no clue that they are playing with danger and death. This
action will secure new buildings. Now UPROAR is seeking support for standards
that would require retrofitting on serviced and replaced units. We need to do
whatever we can to protect young people from dying due to ignorance about the
dangers of huffing.”
Allison Fogarty, who has been
in recovery since May 2008, explained: “Becoming addicted to inhalants was
certainly not intentional in any way. What started as an escape from a bad day
turned out to become a daily habit, which I was unable to stop by using just
will-power. Yet it became so familiar I feared having to stop and step back into
reality. Although I did not suffer physical withdrawal, having to stay clean
from the use of inhalants is still a daily struggle that hopefully will get
easier with time.”
Harvey Weiss, NIPC Executive
Director, said: “Among youth, perception is reality. When they believe that
inhalants use is neither risky nor unacceptable, use of inhalants increases. If
parents do not perceive the dangers and their children dismiss them, there will
be more tragedy and more youngsters who die from ‘Sudden Sniffing Death’, or
become addicted to inhalants. While we cannot lock up common household products,
we can put access to air conditioner refrigerants under lock and key to remove
temptation from unsuspecting young people. I am urging the retrofitting of older
units with locks and applauding the efforts of the International Code Council to
recommend locked units in new construction.”
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Tale: First Breath, Last Breath |
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