InhalantsBy Ryan Kmiec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J618fx8Y2u0

What are Inhalants?

• Inhalants are breathable chemical vapors that users intentionally inhale because of the chemicals' mind-altering effects. The substances inhaled are often common household products that contain volatile solvents, aerosols, or gases.

• Drug Scheduling- 1 or 2???

Brief History

• Inhalants were dated back to being used by Ancient Greeks. The trend really started to pick up when Nitrous Oxide was introduced in the early 1800’s. Ether and chloroform also became popular at that time. In the 1940s, recreational use of solvents, primarily gasoline, became popular. In the 1950’s the abuse of inhalants in the United States increased. By the 1960s, the practice of solvent sniffing had started including paint thinners, spray paint and shoe polish. Currently inhalants are a big problem amongst middle and high school students

Medical Uses

• Solvents and aerosols: None• Amyl nitrite: Treatment for angina pectoris• Nitrous oxide: Dental anesthetic

Street Names

• Slang Terms : Nitrous Oxide – Laughing Gas, Whippets, Hippie Crack, Buzz Bomb

• Amyl Nitrate – Poppers, Boppers, Ames, Amies, Amys, Pearls

• Isobutyl Nitrate – Poppers, Quicksilver, Rush, Snappers, Thrust, Locker Room, Aroma of Men, Bullet, Bolt, Climax, Hardware

• Using inhalants – Bagging, Glading, Huffing, Snorting• Inhalant User – Airhead, Bagger, Huffer• Cracker – Tool used to open a canister of nitrous oxide

Chemicals

• Toluene-spray paints, rubber cement, gasoline • Chlorinated hydrocarbons- dry-cleaning chemicals,

correction fluids• Hexane- glues, gasoline• Benzene- gasoline• Methylene chloride- varnish removers, paint thinners• Butane- cigarette lighter refills, air fresheners• Nitrous oxide- whipped cream dispensers, gas

cylinders

Physiological Effects• Double vision• Loss of coordination• Weakness• Severe headaches• Nausea or vomiting• Numbness• Irregular heartbeat• Heart problems• Even death• Short-term- weakness, hearing loss, fatigue and headaches. • Long-term- reduced kidney function, loss of vision, deafness and liver

dysfunction.

Psychological Effects

• Users usually experience a "head rush“ which is a short-lived high that involves a distortion of reality and a loss of inhibition.

• During the peak users are often compelled to sit in a stupor and giggle –"laughing gas."

• Kill brain cells• Violent behaviors�• Both short-term and long-term inhalant use has

been shown to cause brain damage and hindering transmission of information

Volatile solvents

• Liquids that vaporize at room temperature• Industrial or household products, including

paint thinners or removers, degreasers, dry-cleaning fluids, gasoline, and lighter fluid

• Art or office supply solvents, including correction fluids, felt-tip marker fluid, electronic contact cleaners, and glue

Aerosols

• Sprays that contain propellants and solvents• Household aerosol propellants in items such

as spray paints, hair or deodorant sprays, fabric protector sprays, aerosol computer cleaning products, and vegetable oil sprays

Gases

• Found in household or commercial products and used as medical anesthetics

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

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

Nitrites

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

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7J8LlUHfuo

Bibliography

• http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/inhalants

• http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/inhalants.html

• http://hometestingblog.testcountry.com/?p=4168

• http://www.caron.org/inhalants.html• http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/inhal

ants.asp• http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/inh

alants/a-short-history.html