WTF! 12 YEAR OLDS ARE HUFFING INHALANTS! WHERE THEY DO THAT AT?

The most prevalent and dangerous drug among teens may be underneath your kitchen sink.

Research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reveals that 12-year olds are using inhalants to get high more often than marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined, reports ABC News.

Just one sniff of an inhalant can be enough to stop a teenager’s heart - an event that's become known as “Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome.”

"The tissue and mucus membrane in the nose and throat of younger teens are very sensitive because they're growing," Dessa Bergen-Cico, assistant professor in the department of Health and Wellness at Syracuse University, told ABC News. This means kids are more vulnerable to the adverse affects inhalants can have.

According to family physician Jennifer Caudle, even if these toxic substances aren’t instantly lethal, they can still cause long-term brain damage.

“You have young people developing dementia, having hallucinations, walking into things,” she told ABC News, “not to mention feelings of agitation and anxiety and poor judgment."

In honor of the 18th annual National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is hoping to make parents more aware that inhalants are a serious threat, with one in five students in the United States using before eighth grade, according to the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition.

One father who is especially interested in educating parents is Kevin Talley, who lost his 17-year old daughter Amber to inhalants when one hit of Freon from an air conditioner threw Amber into cardiac arrest. She was found with a plastic bag, once full of fumes, still covering her face.

Mr. Talley told ABC News that he knew something was wrong with his daughter during the six months she spent sniffing, and even brought her to an ear, nose and throat specialist to find out what was causing her throat to be inflamed. Because inhalants are not among the most talked-about drugs out there, neither the Talleys nor the doctor guessed sniffing might be the cause of Amber’s problems.

“We're hoping [with this conference] to make people more aware of the signs to look for, and to get safety caps put on air conditioners. Kids today are getting creative, they're not using the traditional drug outlet," Talley said to ABC News.

Now, Talley says he would recognize the warning signs; Amber had a short temper, glassy eyes and an unusual smell on her clothes. Other signs include lack of coordination, nausea, stumbling and dizziness, much like the symptoms of drunkenness, Bergen-Cico says.

Parents should also look for obvious evidence as well, including empty aerosol containers, rags and suspicious stains on clothing. When it comes to these toxic fumes, Caudle says, being aware of the threat is the key.

"I'm not sure many parents actually know about sniffing," Caudle said to ABC News. "It's been around for years, but there's not been enough awareness. People don't get how big of an issue this is."