School youth have been increasingly involved in the dangerous abuse of volatile inhalants. The basic reason to inhale substances is to reach an altered state of consciousness. The 12-17 and 18-25-year-old age groups had the highest rates of inhalant abuse in 1993. Among eighth graders, almost one in five (19%) said they have used inhalants and 5% reported this use during the past month of the study. School personnel should be aware of the characteristics of students who are inhalant abusers, the types of chemicals used, the paraphernalia required to practice "huffing" and the role professional educators must play to combat this silent epidemic. Information on these topics is provided. (JBJ)