InhalantsBy:•Ida Biolena•John Olbes•Meg Arbo

InhalantsInhalants- are a diverse group of - are a diverse group of volatile substances whose volatile substances whose chemical vapors can be chemical vapors can be inhaled to produce inhaled to produce psychoactive (mind-altering) psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. effects.

While other abused While other abused substances can be inhaled, substances can be inhaled, the term “inhalants” is used the term “inhalants” is used to describe substances that to describe substances that are rarely, if ever, taken by are rarely, if ever, taken by any other route of any other route of administration. administration.

A variety of products common in A variety of products common in the home and workplace contain the home and workplace contain substances that can be inhaled to substances that can be inhaled to get high; however, people do not get high; however, people do not typically think of these products typically think of these products (e.g., spray paints, glues, and (e.g., spray paints, glues, and cleaning fluids) as drugs because cleaning fluids) as drugs because they were never intended to they were never intended to induce intoxicating effects.induce intoxicating effects.

Yet young children and Yet young children and adolescents can easily obtain adolescents can easily obtain these extremely toxic these extremely toxic substances, and are among substances, and are among those most likely to abuse them. those most likely to abuse them. In fact, more 8th graders have In fact, more 8th graders have tried inhalants than any other tried inhalants than any other illicit drug. illicit drug.

Inhalants fall into the Inhalants fall into the following categories: following categories:

•Volatile solventsVolatile solvents——liquids that vaporize at room liquids that vaporize at room temperature temperature

Industrial or household products, Industrial or household products, including paint thinners or removers, including paint thinners or removers, degreasers, dry-cleaning fluids, gasoline, degreasers, dry-cleaning fluids, gasoline, lighter fluid lighter fluid

•AerosolsAerosols——sprays that contain propellants and solventssprays that contain propellants and solvents

Household aerosol propellants in items such as Household aerosol propellants in items such as spray paints, hair or deodorant sprays, fabric spray paints, hair or deodorant sprays, fabric protector sprays, aerosol protector sprays, aerosol computer cleaning Services, products, and , products, and vegetable oil spraysvegetable oil sprays

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•GasesGases

——found in household or commercial products found in household or commercial products and used as medical anestheticsand used as medical anesthetics

Household or commercial products, including Household or commercial products, including butane lighters and propane tanks, whipped butane lighters and propane tanks, whipped cream aerosols or dispensers (whippets), and cream aerosols or dispensers (whippets), and refrigerant gases refrigerant gases

Medical anesthetics, such as ether, Medical anesthetics, such as ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”)(“laughing gas”)

•NitritesNitrites——a special class of inhalants that are used a special class of inhalants that are used primarily as sexual enhancers primarily as sexual enhancers

Organic nitrites are volatiles that include Organic nitrites are volatiles that include cyclohexyl, butyl, and amyl nitrites, commonly cyclohexyl, butyl, and amyl nitrites, commonly known as “poppers.” Amyl nitrite is still used known as “poppers.” Amyl nitrite is still used in certain diagnostic medical procedures. in certain diagnostic medical procedures. When marketed for illicit use, they are often When marketed for illicit use, they are often sold in small brown bottles labeled as “video sold in small brown bottles labeled as “video head cleaner,” “room odorizer,” “leather head cleaner,” “room odorizer,” “leather cleaner,” or “liquid aroma.” cleaner,” or “liquid aroma.”

These various products contain a wide These various products contain a wide range of chemicals such as:range of chemicals such as:

• toluene (spray paints, rubber cement, gasoline), toluene (spray paints, rubber cement, gasoline), • chlorinated hydrocarbons (dry cleaning chlorinated hydrocarbons (dry cleaning

chemicals, correction fluids), chemicals, correction fluids), • hexane (glues, gasoline), hexane (glues, gasoline), • benzene (gasoline), benzene (gasoline), • methylene chloride (varnish removers, paint methylene chloride (varnish removers, paint

thinners),thinners),• butane (cigarette lighter refills, air fresheners), butane (cigarette lighter refills, air fresheners),

andand• nitrous oxide (whipped cream dispensers, gas nitrous oxide (whipped cream dispensers, gas

cylinders). cylinders).

How is Inhalants Abused How is Inhalants Abused • Inhalants can be breathed in through Inhalants can be breathed in through

the nose or mouth in a variety of ways, the nose or mouth in a variety of ways, such as sniffing or snorting fumes from such as sniffing or snorting fumes from a container, spraying aerosols directly a container, spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth, or placing an into the nose or mouth, or placing an inhalant-soaked rag in the mouth inhalant-soaked rag in the mouth (“huffing”). Users may also inhale (“huffing”). Users may also inhale fumes from a balloon or a plastic or fumes from a balloon or a plastic or paper bag that contains an inhalant.paper bag that contains an inhalant.

The intoxication produced by The intoxication produced by inhalants usually lasts just a inhalants usually lasts just a few minutes; therefore, users few minutes; therefore, users often try to extend the “high” often try to extend the “high” by continuing to inhale by continuing to inhale repeatedly over several repeatedly over several hours. hours.

How Do Inhalants Affect How Do Inhalants Affect the Brain the Brain

• The effects of inhalants are similar to The effects of inhalants are similar to those of alcohol, including slurred those of alcohol, including slurred speech, lack of coordination, speech, lack of coordination, euphoria, and dizziness. Inhalant euphoria, and dizziness. Inhalant abusers may also experience abusers may also experience lightheadedness, hallucinations, and lightheadedness, hallucinations, and delusions. With repeated inhalations, delusions. With repeated inhalations, many users feel less inhibited and many users feel less inhibited and less in control. less in control.

• Some may feel drowsy for Some may feel drowsy for several hours and experience a several hours and experience a lingering headache. Chemicals lingering headache. Chemicals found in different types of found in different types of inhaled products may produce a inhaled products may produce a variety of additional effects, variety of additional effects, such as confusion, nausea, or such as confusion, nausea, or vomiting.vomiting.

By displacing air in the lungs, By displacing air in the lungs, inhalants deprive the body of inhalants deprive the body of oxygen, a condition known as oxygen, a condition known as hypoxia hypoxia

• Hypoxia can damage cells throughout Hypoxia can damage cells throughout the body, but the cells of the brain are the body, but the cells of the brain are especially sensitive to it. The especially sensitive to it. The symptoms of brain hypoxia vary symptoms of brain hypoxia vary according to which regions of the according to which regions of the brain are affected: the hippocampus, brain are affected: the hippocampus, for example, helps control memory, so for example, helps control memory, so someone who repeatedly uses someone who repeatedly uses inhalants may lose the ability to learn inhalants may lose the ability to learn new things or may have a hard time new things or may have a hard time carrying on simple conversations. carrying on simple conversations.

•Long-term inhalant abuse can also Long-term inhalant abuse can also break down myelin, a fatty tissue break down myelin, a fatty tissue that surrounds and protects some that surrounds and protects some nerve fibers. Myelin helps nerve nerve fibers. Myelin helps nerve fibers carry their messages quickly fibers carry their messages quickly and efficiently, and when damaged and efficiently, and when damaged can lead to muscle spasms and can lead to muscle spasms and tremors or even permanent tremors or even permanent difficulty with basic actions like difficulty with basic actions like walking, bending, and talking. walking, bending, and talking.

•Inhalants can cause many changes Inhalants can cause many changes in the body. Once the vapors enter in the body. Once the vapors enter the body, some are absorbed by the body, some are absorbed by parts of the brain and nervous parts of the brain and nervous system. system.

• All of the inhalants (except All of the inhalants (except nitrites) slow down the body's nitrites) slow down the body's functions, similar to the effects of functions, similar to the effects of drinking alcohol. At first someone drinking alcohol. At first someone gets excited, but then gets tired, gets excited, but then gets tired, has trouble speaking clearly or has trouble speaking clearly or walking well, gets dizzy, loses walking well, gets dizzy, loses inhibitions, and may get agitated.inhibitions, and may get agitated.

Lethal effects:Lethal effects:

• Sniffing highly concentrated amounts Sniffing highly concentrated amounts of the chemicals in solvents or aerosol of the chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can directly induce heart sprays can directly induce heart failure and death within minutes of a failure and death within minutes of a session of repeated inhalations. This session of repeated inhalations. This syndrome, known as “sudden sniffing syndrome, known as “sudden sniffing death,” can result from a single death,” can result from a single session of inhalant use by an session of inhalant use by an otherwise healthy young person. otherwise healthy young person.

Other short-term effects of Other short-term effects of inhaling chemicals include:inhaling chemicals include:

• increased heart rateincreased heart rate• hallucinations or delusionshallucinations or delusions• losing feeling or consciousnesslosing feeling or consciousness• nausea and vomitingnausea and vomiting• loss of coordinationloss of coordination• slurred speechslurred speech

• brain damage (toxic chemicals may make brain damage (toxic chemicals may make people become slow or clumsy, have people become slow or clumsy, have trouble solving problems or planning trouble solving problems or planning ahead, suffer from memory loss, or ahead, suffer from memory loss, or become unable to learn new things)become unable to learn new things)

• muscle weaknessmuscle weakness• depressiondepression• headaches and nosebleedsheadaches and nosebleeds• loss of sense of smell or hearingloss of sense of smell or hearing

Because inhalants are found in most Because inhalants are found in most homes, people don't realize they are homes, people don't realize they are incredibly addictive. People who incredibly addictive. People who become addicted to using inhalants are become addicted to using inhalants are likely to become long-term users. This likely to become long-term users. This puts them at risk for the following puts them at risk for the following health problems:health problems:

How Inhalants KillHow Inhalants KillLike most street drugs, inhalants can be Like most street drugs, inhalants can be deadly. Someone can die from abusing deadly. Someone can die from abusing inhalants after trying it only once. Causes inhalants after trying it only once. Causes of death include:of death include:

• "Sudden Sniffing Death" — This is the "Sudden Sniffing Death" — This is the most common cause of death from most common cause of death from inhalant use. The heart beats quickly and inhalant use. The heart beats quickly and irregularly, and then suddenly stops irregularly, and then suddenly stops (cardiac arrest).(cardiac arrest).

• Asphyxia — Toxic fumes replace oxygen in Asphyxia — Toxic fumes replace oxygen in the lungs so that a person stops breathing.the lungs so that a person stops breathing.

• Choking — A user can choke on his or her Choking — A user can choke on his or her vomit.vomit.

• Suffocation — When vapors are Suffocation — When vapors are inhaled from a plastic bag placed over inhaled from a plastic bag placed over the head, the bag can block air.the head, the bag can block air.

• Injuries — Since people high on Injuries — Since people high on inhalants often make poor decisions, inhalants often make poor decisions, they might try to drive under the they might try to drive under the influence or do something irrational, influence or do something irrational, such as jump off a roof. They could such as jump off a roof. They could also get burned or start explosions if a also get burned or start explosions if a spark ignites flammable inhalants.spark ignites flammable inhalants.

• Suicide — Some people become Suicide — Some people become depressed when their high wears off.depressed when their high wears off.

Prevention Prevention • Parents can keep their teens away Parents can keep their teens away

from inhalants by talking to them and from inhalants by talking to them and letting them know the dangers of letting them know the dangers of inhalants. Most young users don’t inhalants. Most young users don’t realize how dangerous inhalants can realize how dangerous inhalants can be. Inhalants are widely available and be. Inhalants are widely available and inexpensive, and parents should be inexpensive, and parents should be mindful about how and where they mindful about how and where they store common household products. store common household products.

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