For the last two updates we have encouraged you to learn more about the issue of homeless youth.

Today we want to share with you one aspect of the problem for kids in Mexico and all of Latin America that you CAN immediately have an impact on. It’s the issue of sniffing chemicals.

Remember that Silvia wrote that most of the homeless youth in Mexico are addicted to sniffing chemicals.

According to Casa Alianza the youth sniff the chemicals because it "’takes away’ the children's hunger, cold, and despair… But glue also causes irreparable damage and even death, and keeps kids stuck in the streets."

Well what would happen if they couldn’t get those chemicals?

Some people believe it is wrong for companies to make products with those chemicals in them knowing what they are used for. These people have taken steps to try to get the companies to stop making them, or to make them in a different way so they don’t have the harmful chemicals in them.

There are ways you can help these people change those companies.

The first thing you have to ask yourself is do you agree with these people? Do you agree that it would help street kids by not having these chemicals to sniff? What do you think they want?

We asked Silvia to ask the kids there, both the ones on the streets and the ones who are now off the street, these same questions. Over the next week we would like you to think about these questions. If you write to us with your opinion we will choose some to share with everyone.

If you want more information, you can check out a few other websites with more information:

www.casa-alianza.org - check out their story "Sticky Business"

www.inhalants.org

Then, if you do think it is good to try to stop companies from making these chemicals, think about how you think that should be done. Send those ideas in too and we will start to share them with each other and decide what we should do. With enough of us together, we can really make a difference!