Title:

Sniffing Markers Destroys Your Brain

Creator:

Texas Prevention Partnership

Date:

1991

Description:

This poster is part of a series in a very different kind of public health campaign inspired by toxic chemicals. Created by the Texas Prevention Partnership (TPP), which was founded in 1990 by the Entertainment Industries Council and Harvey Weiss, the posters address the alarming trend of "huffing"--the inhaling of CFCs, Freon, household cleaning products, and other toxic chemicals for a quick high. At the time, inhalant abuse was gaining popularity at a staggering rate in the state of Texas and surrounding areas. Following a massive campaign that included the distribution of bilingual posters and radio and television public service announcements, Texas saw an immediate decline in the number of deaths from inhalant abuse, and between 1990 and 1994 there was a reduction of more than 32 percent in elementary school inhalant use and a reduction of about 20 percent at the high school level. This work inspired TPP to found and lead the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition.. The adolescent boy in this photograph is distinguished by the red magic marker scribbled on his forehead. The image works effectively as a visual representation of the textual message in the title, which warns plainly, "Sniffing markers destroys your brain." Accompanied by the caption, "Sniffing stuff like spray paint or markers can cause brain damage, lung damage, even death," the poster succinctly and symbolically expresses the risks associated with the inhalant.

Publisher:

Texas Prevention Partnership

Original Repository:

The History of Medicine Division. Prints and Photographs Collection

Rights:

Reproduced with permission of the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition.

Genre:

Posters
Slides (photographs)

Subject:

Inhalation Exposure and Public Health

Format:

Still Image

Extent:

1 pages

Relation:

Sniffing Correction Fluid Can Stop Your Heart, 1991
Sniffing Spray Paint Destroys Your Lungs, 1991
We'd Like to Introduce You to the Cocaine of the 90s. Your Child May Already Be Familiar, 1994
Unless You Know What to Look for, the Signs of Sniffing Inhalants Are Almost Invisible, 1994
This Ad Will Tell You Things about Sniffing Inhalants Your Child Probably Won't, 1994

Language:

English

Legacy Source Citation:

Original Repository. History of Medicine Division. Prints and Photographs Collection. 11611. Free Text. This image may also be accessed from the Images from the History of Medicine (IHM).. URL. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/ihm/. IHM Order Number. C00179

Legacy ID:

VCBBDK

NLM ID:

101584655X47

Profiles Collection:

Visual Culture and Health Posters

Shareable Link:

https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/101584655X47

Story Section:

Environmental Health