Street Youth Outreach in Dar: Dangers of Huffing

Dar es Salaam streets are busy every day of the week and full of young people. Many are working odd jobs, selling for local vendors, or working the bus stand. Others don't have a source of income and just wait around for any opportunity. They joke around and have fun together, but the reality is a day of standing around eventually ends with no food, nothing to drink, and a sense of hopelessness.

Young people try to help each other out, but day in and day out without basic needs being met takes a toll, physically and mentally. One outlet that young people resort to is 'kuvuta', also called sniffing or huffing. Young people with no resources use whatever is cheap and available; gas, glue, even burning the seal on the 2000/= shilling note, anything to get high.

Why spend the few shillings on glue when you could buy something to eat? Huffing suppresses the appetite and gives a temporary euphoria. You just need to keep huffing and the euphoria continues.

The dangers of huffing are well documented and extremely dangerous. Glue sniffing has been linked to sudden death and chronic damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, peripheral nerves, and brain. Inhalant abuse in general is associated with mortality and morbidity, including social, educational, and economic deprivation in adolescents and young adults. Most household glues are not poisonous. However, household glue poisoning can occur when someone breathes in glue fumes on purpose in an attempt to get high. Industrial-strength glue is most dangerous. Tanzanian youth use the glue for repairing shoes which is very strong and very toxic.

Our Pillars of Hope Outreach Team sees youth every day that are using inhalants. Our Team offers conversation, advice, food and services. Its not always possible to have a meaningful conversation when everyone is sniffing. We offer to return the following day with some food in exchange for a conversation.

Our goal is to get the conversation started on the dangers of inhalants and the resources that allow someone to get away from the daily habit by going to a local shelter. This may take time and multiple visits before anyone is listening, but over time we hope to encourage a change.

We use donations to support the outreach, food as well and provide resources to local shelters to help out the youth.