Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Has anyone run into this? Yesterday as I was starting a first-grade HS class I noticed a student at the back taking a few big whiffs from what looked to be a bottle of nail varnish. I asked her what she was doing and she put it away, but her and a couple of her friends at the back seemed to be in a really weird, goofy mood. Now, these particular girls don't need intoxicants to act goofy, but this one in particular seemed really odd. I moved her up to a seat at the front and after about ten minutes her demeanour seemed to change a bit. After school I checked with the grade one homeroom teachers and they'd never heard of any problems re: their students sniffing intoxicants, so maybe it was nothing, she was just curious what it smelled like, and just happened to be in an unusual, silly mood at the beginning of the lesson. Or maybe she's discovered a way to make the time fly by at school a lot faster. This same student has been in trouble for other things, including smoking.

Has anyone else heard of Korean students doing this?

[ernie]

you certainly don't need a couple of big whiffs to find out what paint remover smells like! i'd definitely push the teachers to investigate the incident, as huffing can cause some serious brain damage. hopefully they actually take your concerns seriously instead of sweeping it under the rug 'to save face'.

[Jeff's Cigarettes]

Yu_Bum_suk knows his intoxicants... he's a manic depressed gluehead that sniffs morning noon and night. Wake and bake, eh Yu_Bum_suk?

[bassexpander]

I used to teach a couple of high school students who would puff off a fart and comment on how it smelled.

Fart huffers!

[Fishead soup]

I would put glue up there with crystal meth as far as frying your brain.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[friendoken]

I had a friend a long time ago that smoked a lot of dope. One time he was talking about when he was a bit younger and used to sniff glue. Me and another friend were like "You sniffed glue? Are you nuts?"

My friend looked at us and said in all seriousness, "What do you mean? Everybody has sniffed glue haven't they?"

ummmm....not really

[ernie]

i'd talk to the nurse about it, too. the nurses at both of my public schools have been really open-minded, kind, honest people who speak great english.

[BS.Dos.]

I think solvent and substance abuse is pretty common back home in the UK with teenagers. I'm sure I read somewhere on Dave's a while back about this kind of abuse being a problem out here as well, although I've no first hand experience of it myself.

Anything toxic that can be inhaled for a quick high can be potentially fatal, although I wouldn't run a lesson highlighting the dangers as you'd probably only arouse their interest further. I'd maybe give her the benefit of the doubt for now. At least it's been brought to the attention of your CTs so they can keep their eye on it and you can absolve yourself of any blame if she suddenly transforms into a raging crack-wh0re. It's interesting that the same girl has been caght smoking before. I think this may demonstrate the emergence of an addictive personality later in life. It usually follows that those who display curiosity about one thing i.e. smoking are usually the ones who later get caught drinking alcohol as a few of my 3rd graders were recently. Boy, did they get an almighty ass whipping.

[poet13]

"Yu_Bum_suk knows his intoxicants... he's a manic depressed gluehead that sniffs morning noon and night. Wake and bake, eh Yu_Bum_suk?"

Despite a kind of cool looking avatar, I starting to think you're just another idiot.

[Jeff's Cigarettes]

Perhaps thinking is not a strong point for you. Anyhow, I was just having it out for a wee...you know, a joke.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Faunaki]

I was wondering if K students sniffed glue yesterday. There's on student, Pizza, who has been going though a deliquent time - stealing cars, running away from home. Anyway, yesterday he came to school so I said, hey Pizza, long time no see (my co-t translated) and he stared really stupidly at us for a whole minute. He looked completely out of it. It was a little strange. At that time I was pretty sure he was either high or mentally damaged. Must be glue.

[moosehead]

inhalant abuse is a common substance abuse issue when there is a short supply of other substances such as illegal drugs and/or alcohol (and it does appear that underage drinkers here are few).

it was only a matter of time before K students picked up on this - especially with the numbers who have traveled abroad - imagine being alone as a KID in a foreign country - missing your folks, your friends, your school, everything - and someone entices you to try a sniff - just this once -

I do hope it is addressed in your school for the serious problem it is. Like some others have mentioned, I recall a kid who did that when I was a teenager. He wound up with brain damage so serious he had to be institutionalized for the rest of his life.

very bad stuff.