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HE'S only 11. But Joe was caught by the police last Wednesday evening, allegedly for inhalant abuse. It was not his first time. His 13-year-old friend, Pete, was also caught. Joe has three older brothers. One's 15 and already under supervision for inhalant abuse. Another, 17, is in a Reformative Training Centre (RTC) for armed robbery. The eldest brother, 19, lives with his father. His parents are divorced. A reader had alerted The New Paper to a family that had turned a HDB lift lobby into a makeshift home. The "family" was Joe, his mother and 15-year-old brother. Over two days, we observed Joe and his friend loitering in Yishun instead of being in school. They appeared to be constantly drinking out of soft drink cans. It was only after they were caught that it became clear they were not drinking but getting their fix by inhaling a substance in the cans. Inhalant abuse, commonly known as glue-sniffing, usually involves substances like glue, petrol and paint thinner whose vapours can induce a high but have serious health effects on abusers. After reading this article.. I felt sad.. what if he's my brother.. sigh.. my brother age some more..