The National Drug Commission has sounded the alarm about worrying levels of inhalant use among senior school children.

The survey, done by the NDC in October last year, found that 8.2 percent of 12 to 18 year olds had used inhalants.

NDC research officer Dr. Ken-Garfield Douglas said he was concerned children were abusing substances such as gasoline with potentially lethal effects.

"They can go to the gas station and beg for a little bit of gasoline and a paper bag that becomes a lethal weapon in terms of inhalant use."

The survey found three percent of children had reported using inhalants in the last 30 days.

"They are at risk of permanent brain damage," said Dr. Douglas who said substances such as Benzene were particularly harmful while many inhalants could be easily found around the home.

He added: "We know it is cheap and readily available, any inhalant use at all should send up a flag.

"I would want to target some kind of education programme, at the school or community level, maybe a public education campaign to highlight the dangers of inhalant use."

He said alcohol was still the drug of choice with nearly 60 percent of children surveyed saying they had tried alcohol while 26 percent had smoked cigarettes and 20 percent had used marijuana.

However there was some good news in the survey showing those using alcohol in the 30 days prior to the survey had dropped by half over the last 12 years from 52.9 percent to 27 percent.

But Dr. Douglas cautioned: "Alcohol use is still up there. It has not declined much from 1997 to 2003.

"We need to be concerned about that, especially in light of it's readily available in the community, especially at home."

Cigarette use has shown a steady decline in the last decade ? falling from 13.5 percent to 6.5 percent while marijuana use has fallen only slightly in the last decade from 13.5 percent to 10.3 percent.

The survey also revealed worrying aspects of anti-social behaviour with 16.8 percent of private and public school children admitting to attacking someone with intent to harm them in the past year while 13 percent had been suspended.

The NDC has also gathered Parish-related statistics on the risk factors affecting youth.

It showed that Hamilton and St. George's both had danger levels in four of the five community factors listed including low neighbourhood attachment, community disorganisation and norms favourable to drug use. Warwick, Devonshire, Southampton and Pembroke were also high on the areas needing attention.

The NDC has a 'Communities That Care' programme which will use the data to target needs. It was given $300,000 by Government this year to implement the programme by partnering with Parish councils, residents and neighbourhood businesses.

Hamilton Parish Council has signed up 50 residents to help improve things while the scheme will be rolled out in the other parishes.